I'll Hold You Up
by PyroQueenOfFire
Summary: Time jumping without control seemed bad to Angela Stark at first, but when it means saving everyone that Steve Rogers loves the most, it seems worth it. Add in that it saves the romance between Steve's older sister, Corrine, and his best friend Bucky Barnes, and it seems too good to be true; Steve/OC, Bucky/OC, Thor/OC, Clint/OC
1. Time Jumps

**AUTHORS' NOTE:**

**Here comes a fun and extensive Captain America/Avengers/Winter Soldier story from yours truly, Monique and Kyla. We've been putting a lot of thought and effort into this and we hope that you love it as much as we do. Also, expect to have several cameos made by Andy and Thor from "Take Me or Leave Me" and "Thousand Years" because they are priceless.**

**WARNINGS: Language, Sex, Violence, Blood, Dark Themes, Angst**

**ENJOY!**

xxxx

Angela Stark peered at the sleeping super soldier, trying really hard to figure out what she should say to him when he woke up. She only knew as much as she had been briefed about, keeping it to herself because Nick Fury had asked and she certainly didn't want her older brother, Tony, to know anything about this. He was still in the dark about her involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D. and she wasn't about to let him think any differently—Hell, she hadn't told him about her powers yet either.

They were half siblings and he knew something was up when she was sent by their mother to Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted, but he never really looked into it. Tony was far too busy with his company and so when Angel was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D., she made quick friends with Natasha Romanov and became an agent and now she was supposed to make Steven Grant Rogers feel safe 70+ from the future he had been encased in ice in. She didn't know how she was going to do it, but she fluffed her hair went into the room as Steve stirred.

His eyes opened and he looked up at the ceiling fan, everything fashioned to look like the time he had left, even though Angel thought that was overkill. She wanted to be completely and utterly, 100% honest with the man she had somewhat idolized even though she never told Tony or Howard that. Angel tried harder than anything to try and keep herself separate from the rest of the Starks, sans Maria, who raised her as her own even though she was Howard's flesh and blood and not hers. Steve, however, sat up and heard the door open, looking at her with a look on his face she couldn't quite place.

At first, he seemed scared and then his eyes lit up like he was so excited he couldn't handle it, standing up and hurrying to her as she started toward him. She opened up her mouth to tell him what she had been perfecting for the last couple of hours, watching him sleep with Coulson, but instead, she found chapped lips pressing to hers and her heart skipped a beat. Her legs felt like they were going to buckle underneath her and butterflies erupted in her stomach…in fact when he pulled away and smiled at her, she even smiled back until it hit her that she had no idea what was happening.

"How long was I out? How did you find me?" Steve asked her, stroking her hair. "How did you…the last time I saw you, you…why are you looking at me like that?"

Angel paused a moment. "Um…do I remind you of someone?"

"Yeah, you're Angel," Steve said, pausing too. "Why? What's going on? Are you alright?"

"I…" Angel took a deep breath and tried to breathe. "…Steve, you were kind of frozen in the ice caps for…for 70 years…"

xx

A lot of things about time travel didn't make sense but one thing did: Angel was here in the past because she had been sent here by her out of whack powers. Steve had been telling her all about how they had first met and what he remembered and she _knew_ she was who he was thinking of…it all made sense. Even after a small freak out he seemed to understand that it was the most logical way this all made sense and yet that made this even crazier. She'd been getting to know this great guy and falling hard for him and yet he was so damaged and sad because everyone he'd ever loved was gone and she couldn't help him…until now.

Pure energy coursing through her system was making her out of whack and she reached up to stop a nose bleed as she felt it, not feeling so hot, but wanting to be here. If this was what Steve had described, this was how they had met and though that made her feel kind of strange, stranger things had happened and she paused when she heard a loud noise. This was her father's Expo, in the past, way before he'd even met Maria and married her and had Tony and she didn't know how she felt…certainly anxious.

"Come on, Steve, have a little fun," James "Bucky" Barnes told his best friend, Angel perking up her ears. "This can't all be about the war, can it?"

"No it can't," Corrine Rogers, Steve Roger's older sister said smiling over at her brother, "This is actually about me," she explained with a nod, her friend Lillian laughing beside her. "I planned this shindig, and you're going to appreciate it."

"Plus, you've got a date to entertain," Bucky whispered now nudging Steve in the side, both of them looking over at Corrine's best friend with interest when she winked over at them.

The announcer spoke up and Corrine froze, looking up as he started to ask everyone to make their way to the stage, "It's starting, come on!" Corrine cheered grabbing onto Bucky and Lillian's hands and dragged them towards the stage, Steve following after them.

Corrine cheered and clapped, rolling her eyes as Howard Stark came onto the stage, winking down at her before kissing one of the girls on the stage he handed his hat to, and took the microphone from her.

It was strange to see Corrine and Bucky in the flesh and not just from pictures that Steve reminisced over, and it was also strange to see Steve there…shorter than her. All of her focus was pulled away when her father came on stage, but she kept glancing at the group out of the corner of her eye, smiling as much as she could because she had to look impressed, even if she wasn't. Howard Stark had _never_ been there for her or her brother growing up and it was because of all of these inventions—they had always been more important than his family.

Despite understanding how they worked and being able to hold her own and help Tony make them, she despised them. She despised his company and she despised his work and regardless of having stocks in it in the future because she was his daughter, she couldn't help but roll her eyes even though her heart hurt. Right now, she was torn between crying and making snide comments, but she found the strength to just smile, occasional looking at Steve to keep her grounded…he was after all why her unstable time jump had led her here looking out of place.

"Ladies and gentleman," Corrine bit her lip looking back at Bucky with wide and excited eyes as Stark got ready to introduce the new invention he'd been working on, saying all the words she'd written out for him, "What if I told you in a few short years, your automobile, won't even have to touch the ground at all." The crowd started to talk amongst themselves as they clapped and Bucky slipped his hand onto Corrine's waist pulling her back.

"He's crazy right?" He whispered and she just laughs shaking her head as she demanded him to 'just watch' while the women on stage removed the wheels from the automobile, revealing metal plates on the gears where the wheels should have been.

"With Stark revert reversion technology, you'll be able to do just that." Corrine met eyes with Mr. Stark just as he pulled the lever, giving him a thumbs up when the area around where the cars wheel started to glow orange and hovered off the ground.

"Holy cow," Corrine laughed at Bucky's words, smiling at him, "you helped him do that?"

She gave him a shrug, "More or less."

Angel knew she was more or less a Stark when she could pinpoint exactly what was wrong with her father's invention, but things would all work out for him more or less. He'd become more famous and richer and find Maria and settle down, have Tony, think his life was perfect, have a _way too late_ mid-life crisis, have Angel and then everything would be taken from him and given to Tony in one fell swoop. He couldn't know that his life was going to turn out so differently than he thought it would now…but how could he, right?

The wheels started to spark, and Corrine bit her lip, praying nothing was going to explode, and she met eyes with Howard again as he took a step back, wincing when the car fell to the ground in a crash, the crowd wincing with him, Angel clapping her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"I did say a few years didn't I?" The entire crowd laughed with Howard, and Corrine rolled her eyes at him before pointing at her wrist, telling him to remember the time they were supposed to meet up that night, and he just nodded at her laughing nervously before walking off the stage.

Steve sighed, turning around to look at the recruiting poster hanging on the wall in the back, and glanced back over at his sister who was now laughing with Bucky, his arms wrapped around her waist. Steve had been trying to get into the army ever since America jumped into it all. Each time he went though, they always turned him down; he didn't meet the requirements to be a solider, but his best friend Bucky did. Bucky and Corrine's feelings for each other were more than obvious to anyone around them, but for some reason they just never saw it. But now that Bucky was going off to war, Corrine was starting to open up more, and Steve had never seen his sister cry as much as she had since finding out about Bucky's deployment. If he were to join the war alongside his friend he'd be leaving his sister alone, but he could be able to keep Bucky safe for his sister… so she could be happy and start a family with his best friend.

So, he was going to give it another shot, he quickly walked backwards, bumping into someone in the process, "I'm sorry," he said quickly and quietly as he turned around, looking up at the beautiful girl, and felt his face grow hot, "I'm real sorry," he said again trying to seem like he wasn't staring, before clearing his throat, giving her a nervous awkward smile, and headed for the recruiting center.

"You don't have to worry about it," Angel said, following after him. "Have you been recruited yet?"

It was a painful subject for Steve and she knew that, but at the same time she also knew that they were supposed to meet here. Steve had given her most of the details of it but not all of them, so she was winging the dialogue and wondering if that was how fate had really settled things out for her…had this infection of pure energy that was slowly killing her from the inside out and she hadn't told anyone but Reed about it, brought her here on purpose? Was Steve an anchor? She certainly thought that he grounded her.

"No," Steve said slowly, disappointment crossing his face as he looked up at her. "I…you must think I'm completely pathetic."

Angel gently rested her hand on his shoulder. "I don't think that you're pathetic at all…quite the contrary, I think that you have a lot of heart."

_Steve glanced at Angel as she set her hand on his, grasping it gently and then bringing it up to her lips to brush them against his skin. His whole body shivered at the touch, just as attracted to her now as he was when they had met, not able to fully voice his love, but knowing it was there, trying to find the right moment. He reached up and cupped her face, running his thumb along her jaw and smiling at her, wishing there was something else that he could do to repay such words._

"_You have always been the man with heart," Angel repeated, resting her free hand on his shirted chest and stroking where his heart lay beating beneath. "Everyone has always seen you as a hero and you might not see it, but you're a hero. You're the best kind of hero because you fight with your ideals, not necessarily with your brawn and you know what? You haven't always had brawn…so what does that say about you?"_

_Steve smiled and kissed her gently. "I don't know how I could get through all of this without you, Angel. I thought for a moment that I'd lost you too and I know I couldn't bear it, but it's you. You've always…"_

"_It's okay," Angel said as he trailed off. "I know it's still hard for me to wrap my mind around it, but you know me and I was there and when the day comes that I know all of that too…I was sent to you for a reason, and I'll figure out why."_

"_I'm tempted to believe it was God's way of telling me I did something right," Steve admitted, a blush tinting his cheeks. "I certainly must have…"_

Steve smiled at her, his heart thumping away in his chest as she slowly moved her hand off of him and blushed herself. She wasn't usually all this forward, actually, a trait she didn't share with her brother where romance was concerned, but Steve brought something out in her. Perhaps it was because from what she knew of him, he was more than ready to serve his country and maybe someday lead a normal life regardless of having so much pain in him that Angel had always wished that she could take away. Natasha had even dropped the words 'soul mate' and Angel had kept denying, but deep down it made her wonder because she was here. She was making unstable time jumps, manipulating time and space, and they were bringing her to Steve—had _brought _her to Steve…so it was certainly plausible.

"I, uh…" Steve began shifting uncomfortably. "I don't know, I'm just surprised…"

Angel smiled nervously. "Surprised about what?"

"That you're still talking to me," Steve admitted, making eye contact with her. "I have a tendency to push women away…especially attractive ones."

"Well, I'm not all that shallow and I don't think your date is either, but if your heart isn't in it," Angel tried, looking over at the group and then to him, "then that's on you. You can't choose what your heart wants, but you have to be open to listening to it."

Steve nodded and looked back at the recruiting information. "My heart's telling me not to give up."

"Then don't give up," Angel whispered, smiling at him.

She felt another nose bleed coming on so she took her leave, not wanting to make him feel bad for her in any way. Steve was kind of sad without her presence, but he smiled as he watched her head back into the crowd, looking back to all of the army things and taking a deep breath. His heart wasn't in dancing or the date: it was in finally getting past every ailment that kept him here. Past his asthma, his heart problems, his respiratory issues—he just wanted to be a soldier and serve his country like every other American man was able to do.

"Hey Steve," Bucky called out to his friend pulling away from Corrine briefly, "what do you say we go treat these girls—" he trailed off when he noticed Steve was no longer behind him and he sighed, turning back to Corrine as she noticed her brother was gone too.

"I wonder where he's run off to," she sighed as she turned to stand beside Bucky, Lillian shrugging.

"He went that way," Angel said and the three turned to look at her, frowning when they noticed her wiping at her bloody nose, "towards the recruiting center."

Corrine quickly went to her side, pulling her handkerchief from her coat pocket, "Oh honey what's happened to you?" She asked quickly, her mothering ways over taking her as she handed the taller woman the piece of cloth, "you said you saw my brother?"

"Thank you, I'm alright," Angel told them. It was a lie, but it wasn't her first and it wouldn't be her last. "Sometimes it just acts up and there's a lot of excitement…I'm Angel, by the way."

Corrine nodded and then walked hand in hand with Bucky, Lillian to her right alongside Angel, the woman who'd they just met, heading towards the recruitment center.

"Here, let me go in," Bucky said quickly as he pulled away stopping Corrine from going any further, "you have this thing you do that, well, you get judgey."

Corrine scoffed, "I do not get judgey." She argued crossing her arms over her chest and Bucky just smiled shaking his head.

"Give me two minutes with him, and then we'll all go dancing," Bucky said holding his hands out and Corrine smiled, rolling her eyes before gesturing for him to go.

"We need to get you some better clothes sweetheart," Corrine turned when Lillian spoke to Angel, and she laughed lightly.

"You are dressed a bit," Corrine let her eyes wander over the girl's clothing biting her lip, "How can I put this without offending you," she muttered to herself, before smiling, "You're just not dressed for dancing," she said now clapping her hands together as Angel smiled because she knew that her clothes were definitely not for the time period at all.

"Really?" Angel asked, looking down at her pencil skirt and blouse. "This is all the rage in Paris," she teased smiling.

"I'm sure Bucky will be okay with us stopping at my apartment to get you some nicer clothes," Lillian says with a shrug. "You look about my size, and it's not like Bucky's going to mind to see us three getting undressed."

Corrine gasped, her face hot as she turned to Lillian, "That's so uncalled for Lilly," she said shaking her head as she looked back to Angel who laughed, "I'm so sorry about her, she has to filter."

"I also have no soul," Lillian added on with a shrug, "but that's less significant."

"Oh, it's alright, I've known people with no souls that aren't anywhere near as lovely," Angel admitted with a grin.

The three girls laughed amongst themselves and Bucky came in then, his arm wrapping around Corrine's shoulders, "You girls ready to go?" He asked and Corrine looked up at him.

"Is Steve not coming?" She asked and he just shook his head.

"He's gonna catch up with us in a bit, he's got some stuff to do," he muttered and she frowned nodding slowly.

"Well," Lillian said looking over at Bucky, "we gotta stop at my place first, get this doll some new rags, now let's go love birds, Angel you're my date," she said turning away from Corrine who was now blushing and wrapped her arm around Angel.

Angel didn't know how much time she had here as she felt herself waning a little, no matter how much the idea of going dancing appealed to her. The nose bleeds were getting closer together and she didn't want to have to explain the disappearing into thing air act to her new 'friends', so she took a deep breath and looked at them. There was one loose end she had to tie up so that they didn't suspect all that much when she randomly appeared again: Howard.

"I would _love_ to go dancing, but we should do it another night. All this excitement has my nose acting up and I need to find Howard somehow in this sea of gaggling women," Angel admitted as she hugged Lillian and then Corrine. "Thank you for the handkerchief, it was much appreciated and I'll repay you somehow."

She knew that if she stayed too long then they would start asking her all sorts of questions, especially Corrine, who was basically like Howard's Pepper and it made Angel smile. It was nice to know that Howard had someone before his downward spiral that Maria had to pick him up from, but she had something she had to do. She had several more time jumps ahead of her and she wasn't sure entirely what to expect, but she had to make sure that she would always be welcome here and she left to find Howard, which wasn't hard when you were Angela Stark and you could manipulate people to your will.

"Da—Howard?" Angel asked slowly.

Howard looked up from flirting with a redhead and smiled at her. "Well, hello there."

"Hi," Angel said as she watched him looking her up and down, praying he was confused about her dress and that was it. "You and I need to talk just really fast…see…I'm your cousin."

Just before Howard could say anything to the contrary, the redhead throwing her dirty looks gave her a smile instead, and then Angel touched Howard's face. He felt tingly and warm before he just nodded, taking on the new set of memories as Angel dawned another nose bleed.

xx

Angel got to go dancing after all.

After coming back to the future shortly after manipulating Howard's memories, Steve found her trying to stop her nose from bleeding and he took her straight to Reed, who had been recruited to help Bruce to keep the Hulk under control. She was thankful to him, but she was also worried because every time the pure energy got disturbed, it started to eat away at her and Reed still couldn't figure it out. Still, it was a week after the first jump that she jumped again, to Corrine, Lillian and Bucky celebrating with Steve about him getting into the army the day after the Expo…it was also bittersweet because Steve would be going to Boot Camp and Bucky was being deployed.

After stopping off with Howard and figuring out where everyone was, Angel found herself in a dress that made her feel a little weird, because her hair wasn't curled. It didn't bother her too much, but she would be out of place even pinning it back in strategic ways, but she would see Steve. This was certainly a part of the reminiscing that she and Steve hadn't really talked about, but he'd told her she was there…told her that he had spent a magical evening with her and she didn't know what that meant. What kind of magical evening? They weren't even technically dating because she was so confused by all of this time travel.

"Corrine?" Angel asked as she got into the bar.

Bucky and Steve were getting the girls drinks, Steve being a stickler as normal about dancing because he didn't know how and didn't have the right partner, and Angel could understand Lillian's frustration there. The beautiful young blonde had come to dance and Steve wasn't going to lead her out on the dance floor, but she had the attention of an attractive man while Corrine seemed to be watching from afar…like a wing woman? Angel didn't know, but she smiled when Corrine turned to her.

"There you are! And you're dressed for dancing!" Corrine teased sweetly, pulling Angel into a hug. "Have you seen Bucky or Steven?"

Angel shook her head. "No, I just got here…I didn't know you would all be here. Are we celebrating?"

"Yes, we are," came Bucky's voice as he handed Corrine a drink. "Steve here, got into the army even though—"

"—Buck, please don't start," Steve said as his cheeks flushed red.

He had already been lectured more than once about how he needed to be careful and he had a feeling that Corrine and Bucky had even talked behind his back at some point about how his ailments gave him no place in the army…and Angel could tell Corrine was a bit upset. She had covered up her red eyes with make-up, but she was worried because her little brother and his best friend were leaving her and this was the last night she had with them. Smiling at Steve and congratulating him, Angel set her hand on Corrine's shoulder and scooted closer to her as Steve hurriedly went to go and get Angel a drink, setting Lillian's down on the table they were occupying.

"Everything is going to be alright…trust me. They'll both be fine," Angel told Corrine gently and that was mostly a promise to her that she would fix it. "No matter what happens or how bleak it looks, I'll make sure that everything is fine."

Bucky raised his eyebrows. "Sounds like a tough promise to keep, but the sentiment is appreciated, Angel."

Corrine nodded smiling over at Angel. "I'm just hoping to be able to go with Steven," she said now, ignoring Bucky when he groaned, "Howard Stark is my boss, maybe he can…maybe he can get me in as a supervisor or something." Corrine was aware that it was just hopeless musings, but it still made her feel better thinking that she'd be able to be sent to wherever Steve went.

"Howard's not going to give you up that easily Corrine," Bucky muttered as he gulped down some of his drink, glancing briefly at Lilly as she walked over with her new date, "You're practically Howard's wife, he's not going to let you go join the war with the rest of us."

Angel squirmed at the sound of that not because it was really true, but because it just reminded her of the fact that Howard had cheated on Maria to have her.

Corrine smiled at him, her eyebrows rising. "Someone sounds jealous," she mocked with a roll of her eyes, before turning to look back at Angel. "Bucky doesn't think women have a place in the war," Corrine said laughing when Bucky went to argue.

"I never said that," he defended himself quickly, looking over at Angel as she raised an eyebrow. "I simply stated that I preferred our women safe and at home, rather than risking their necks over in Europe."

Angel nodded slowly. "Yes, well, I think you might find that women can handle themselves where fighting is concerned and if not with fighting, there are always positions open for nurses."

"Either way, wouldn't it be best to let the men know that they have a home to come back to?" Bucky asked, having talked to Steve about this before.

"Sounds to me like you just don't want to be shown up by a woman," Angel teased and she smiled even though Bucky gave her a look.

Corrine laughed, rolling her eyes as she looked past Bucky at Lillian, "Who's this?" She questioned, pushing Bucky's big head out of the way when he turned to see, making him grab onto her hand and pull it from his face sending her a look when she laughed again.

"This is David," Lillian introduced gesturing towards the man who had his arms wrapped around her waist. "He's a sailor," she said with a grin and Corrine nodded.

"I can see that by his uniform," she laughed, pushing Bucky away again when he went to pull her from her stool. "What on earth do you want?" She laughed, glancing over at Steve as he hurried back over with Angel's drink, the look in his eyes one Corrine knew well when he smiled at her.

"I want you to come dance with me," Bucky stated, spinning her around in her seat his hands going to her waist. "Steve's got himself a new date; you don't have to babysit him anymore." Bucky said looking over at Steve when he glared at him. "Angel," Bucky called out to the girl smiling when she turned to look at him, "why don't you get Steve here to come dance, so Corrine will dance with me."

Angel blushed at that, taking a deep breath when Steve stammered a moment and then they just made eye contact—she knew how much dancing meant to Steve. Corrine laughed when Bucky picked her up despite her protests, and tossed her onto his shoulder and carried her out on the dance floor; once they were there he set her down and took her hands in his, and started to spin her.

"You're such a brute!" Corrine laughed letting him pull her to his chest, dancing quickly along with the Big Band, Corrine turning to look when Lillian ran over with David, Angel and Steve still at the bar, staring over at him with smiles on their faces.

"You love it!" Bucky called out over the music grinning down at her as he took her face in his hands, and she swallowed quickly before he pressed his lips to hers.

"It's about time," Steve said as he watched Bucky kiss his sister, looking back over at Angel. "Those two have been into each other since we were kids," he said shaking his head, happy to see Bucky looking so happy with himself. "They're going to end up married with four kids I'm sure."

Angel smiled at that, feeling a painful throb in her heart because she already loved these people and it wasn't just that…it was because she knew that that didn't happen. She knew that Bucky died and that Corrine went missing and that Steve was going to crash into the ice caps as soon as he really got deeper into this Hydra business, and it was breaking her. The tears appeared in her eyes and she just smiled and nodded, looking away from him, trying not to focus on the fact that he placed his hand on hers because he knew something was wrong.

"Are you upset I didn't ask you to dance?" Steve asked her, nodding when she shook her head. "Did I say something offensive, somehow? I didn't mean to…"

Angel looked at him and smiled. "You're perfect, it's alright. I'm just emotional, I guess, don't worry about it."

Corrine pulled back from Bucky, biting down on her lip hard before shaking her head, "You shouldn't have done that James," she said quickly taking a step back as he sighed.

"Corrine," she shook her head and turned away, giving Lilly a look which made her quickly leave David's side. "Corrine!" Bucky called after her as she and Lilly hurried back over to the bar.

"I, we're going to the bathroom," Corrine said quickly to Steve and Angel, her eyes tearing up as she grabbed her purse, ignoring Bucky as he called out to her again, pushing through the dancing crowd.

"Corrine," Steve went to stand and she just shook her head giving him a small smile.

"I'm okay," she said putting her hand on his shoulder. "You stay, talk to Angel; I'll be right back," she said quickly, hurrying away with Lillian just as Bucky pushed through the crowds, and ran over to them.

"Where'd she go?" Bucky asked out of breath, looking around for her as Steve shook his head at him.

"She went to the bathroom with Lilly," Steve said sadly. "Just give her some time Bucky, she'll come around."

Bucky sighed loudly and then looked at Angel. "Hey, are _you_ okay?"

"I'm fine," Angel said quickly, feeling a nose bleed come on even as she said it, Steve quickly taking out his pocket square and moving to hold it to her nose. "Thank you…God, you guys must think I'm sickly or something. I just—"

"—get nose bleeds when you're overwhelmed? I get it, I've seen it happen," Steve told her with a smile, knowing how it felt to be weak and sickly.

"I just understand what it's like to lose someone," Angel admitted as she shrugged gently. "I lost both of my parents to the violence in the world."

Steve smiled sadly and cupped her face. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"We didn't know you lost them to the war," Bucky added in and Angel just nodded because that made sense, she supposed. "No wonder you came to be with Howard."

Angel just smiled and then she glanced at them and nodded again. "I'm going to go and check on the girls."

When she excused herself, Bucky looked at Steve, who immediately sighed because he knew that instead of talking about his sister, Bucky wanted to chastise him. He'd had the perfect opportunity to ask Angel to dance and Steve had even thought about it, but everything had happened so fast and then Bucky had kissed Corrine and then Angel opened up about her parents and it just wasn't the right time. In fact it even dawned on Steve that he hadn't told Angel how beautiful she looked tonight just because his focus was on the war and he really needed to rectify that.

"Angel is sweet on you," Bucky said shaking his head. "Everyone in here can see it and if I'm mistaken, you kept mentioning her last night…and this morning…and all the way up until she suddenly showed up, like a sign."

Steve took a deep breath. "That's big talk coming from a man who can't even tell my sister how he feels about her…"

Corrine leaned against the counter in the bathroom, Lillian's hand on her back as she tried to calm her friend down. "Corrine, Bucky loves you, it's obvious," Lillian explained and Corrine groaned shaking her head.

"That's not good Lilly," she said turning to look at her, wiping at her eyes. "He's going to war, Lilly, he's going to the war, and Steve's going to boot camp, and they're both going to be gone… and they're both going to get killed." She sobbed, groaning when more tears came and turned away, resting her arms against the counter, taking in a steady breath when the bathroom door opened up again, Lillian smiling at Angel weakly when she looked at Corrine leaning against the sink sobbing.

Angel hadn't really lost her father to war…at least not to his own war. He was a weapons specialist and he was more into his work than his family and then a car accident took him and her mother away and yet, she understood. She understood loss. Angel remembered _exactly_ how she felt when Tony had gone missing and come back with the arch reactor in his chest and it hurt even more. Steve was Corrine's _brother_ and as a sister herself, Angel knew what that weight on your chest felt like when you were helpless to change the events swirling around you.

"_Pepper, we have to __**do**__ something! Don't you understand?!" Angel asked desperately, cheeks tear stained and eyes red. "HE IS ALL ALONE OUT THERE!"_

_Pepper shot Angel a look. "You don't think that I know that?"_

"_There isn't anything that we can do from here," Joanna explained with a sigh, blotting her eyes. "Unless you know something that we don't know, Angel…"_

_Joanna had been onto Angel more and more lately with all of the S.H.I.E.L.D. work and now Tony was missing and Angel could do something. Anything. She __**had**__ to do __**something**__ about it all and the quicker the better. This was her brother and she hadn't even told him lately just how much he meant to her and what if she lost him? Tony Stark was the only family that she really had left because he and Joanna hadn't gotten married quite yet, regardless of her basically being her sister._

"_I will fix this," Angel said suddenly with a nod. "I can't leave him out there…"_

"War is a really shitty thing, excuse my French," Angel said quickly, flushing at her swear word, "but you know what hurts worst in the end? Being dishonest. I mean do you love Bucky, Corrine? Because if you do, I think that you would regret it later if you didn't tell him before he left. Let him have something to hold onto while he's gone…you'd be surprised how much you can accomplish when you do things for love."

Corrine stared at Angel for a bit, wiping at her eyes more as she took in what she said. Did she love Bucky? She'd known him since they were kids, he was always there for her, he always seemed to be interested in her, but he had all those girls, he was always surrounded by girls so she just assumed she was his friend. But he kissed her, he kissed and things came up, and now she really didn't know how she felt about him, but she knew if she lost him she'd be devastated.

"Bucky's a big boy Corrine," Lillian said hugging her friend from behind, "You loving him might just be what he needs to make it through the war without losing his life." She mutters, smiling over at Angel as Corrine nods.

Perhaps Angel had no idea what it really meant to be truly and madly in love, but she knew that when you kept things bottled up, it never helped anyone. She also was starting to feel a little lightheaded and held up a tissue to her nose as she took a deep breath and waved it off. It just meant that pretty soon she was going to have to excuse herself again and she hadn't even gotten to maybe dance with Steve…not that that would actually happen, but it would have been nice.

Corrine sighed. "Alright," she said turning towards the mirror, and trying her best to fix her makeup, trying to hide the fact she'd just been crying. "Let's go have fun," she said with a nod, reapplying her lipstick, and turned to look at Angel.

"You like my brother," she stated noticing Angel blush. "You be good to him; he's never had a girl who liked him."

"Other than me," Lillian said quickly catching Angel's attention, "but Stevey couldn't handle me," she joked, laughing with Corrine before the girls headed back out into the club.

Corrine walked straight over to Bucky who was busy talking with Steve, and she stopped for a second biting her lip as Lillian took Angel by the hand and made her walk back over to Steve with her.

"Bucky," Lillian tapped his shoulder smiling when he turned around. "Corrine would like to speak with you soldier," she said pointing over at Corrine who smiled at him weakly.

"We'll be back," Bucky said to Steve as he gathered his hat, and hurried over to Corrine, who took his hand and led him out of the club.

"I'm counting the days until they actually sleep together," Lillian sighed, taking a sip of her drink as she looked at Steve who cringed at the thought. "You and Angel have fun; I'm going to go find my sailor," she excused herself, and disappeared into the mass of dancing clubbers.

Angel smiled and told her to have fun before she looked at her drink and decided against taking a sip of it. Normally she didn't mind the alcohol in a social situation, but with her feeling like her body was starting to get ready to make a jump and so she looked at Steve and decided to just put herself right out there. It wasn't like this hadn't already happened, so whatever she said was whatever she had already said…it worked like that, didn't it?

"In light of everyone being honest," Angel said suddenly with a smile on her face, "I think it's imperative that you know that I like you…a lot, and I'm alright that you didn't ask me to dance—dancing is about finding the right partner and maybe I'm not it, but someday I'd like to be."

Steve was caught off guard by the statement, but he smiled. "I see we have something in common…"

Corrine led Bucky away from the crowds that were in front of the building, sighing once they stood in an empty alley way beside the club, looking over at him when he seemed a bit confused.

"Corrine," he started shaking his head as he looked down at her, noticing the fact that her eyes were red and puffy. "Corrine I'm sorry I upset you."

She shook her head, smiling weakly. "No, Bucky, you don't have to be sorry," she said, worrying, her lip in between her teeth as she tried to find the words.

"Why are we out here?" He asked, taking a step towards her, making her look back up at him. "Why aren't we in there dancing and having a good time?"

Corrine shrugged. "Because, because we need to talk about something," she said nervously squeezing her eyes shut when she realized how stupid she sounded.

"Hey," Bucky took her face in his hands, making her open her eyes. "Just talk to me Corrine, what is it?"

Corrine looked up at him, her eyes tearing up again. "Bucky I love you," she said placing her hands over his. "I've always loved you…and now you're leaving, and I just, I want you to know that before you go," she whispered, her voice shaky as Bucky took in what she said.

Bucky smiled at her, and leans down, pressing his lips to hers gently. Their height difference didn't make it awkward like Corrine always imagined, in fact, it was perfect, the way his lips molded with hers, and how when she wrapped her arms around his neck he picked her up from the ground some, his hands tangling in her hair.

Bucky pulled back for a breath of air, the two breathing a bit heavier as he grinned down at her. "I love you too Corrine," he said, brushing her bangs from her face, and she just smiled back up at him. "I love you, and when I get back we're going to get married." She laughed at that shaking her head as he set her down, taking her hands in his. "We're going to get married, and we're going to live in a house provided by Mr. Stark, and we're going to grow old together watching our kids grow up." He said happily, picking her up again in his arms and spun her around, making her squeal in delight as she gripped onto his shirt.

Steve asked Angel a couple of questions about herself, smiling at the kinds of things they had in common and even laughing a little at her jokes. He felt comfortable with her and she certainly made his heart speed up and it made him want more than anything to just ask her—throw it all out there. For the first time, Steve actually felt like he'd already _found_ the right partner, so he held out his hand to her and she looked at it, feeling like her nose was going to bleed again…she wasn't going to be around that much longer.

"Angel?" Steve asked her.

She looked into his eyes. "Yeah, Steve?"

"Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Steve asked her, his nervousness turning into a smile at how easy and natural the words came out, both of them getting distracted by Bucky and Corrine.

The two walked back into the bar, his arm around her waist and she smiled when she spotted Angel and Steve speaking silently together, Lillian on the dance floor with her sailor.

"It looks like you two made up," Steve said smiling over at Corrine when she nodded, Bucky pressing his lips to her hair.

"I've got to leave soon," Corrine said when she noticed the time. "I've got to meet up with Howard." She glanced over at Bucky, noticing the look on his face and she just rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to see me off in the morning?" He asked and she smiled as she nodded, "Good, you too Angel." Bucky said turning to look at her. "I expect you and Steve there."

Angel wasn't quite sure what to say to that because she wasn't sure when she would jump again, not entirely sure if she ever saw them off. Perhaps it would be one of those many disappointments that would befall them all but it was going to have to happen this way because she didn't actually have control over it. She was beginning to learn that time was linear and that was just the way that the time stream crumbled.

Corrine smiled. "I'll make sure they're there," she said and turned to look at Steve. "I expect you to be home by at least midnight Steve." She said quickly, pointing at her brother as she tried to back away, Bucky holding onto her hand. "No funny business you two," she laughed, smiling when Steve blushed and she turned back to Bucky, pressing her lips to his. "See you tomorrow," she muttered against his lips, before pulling away and headed for the exit.

"I'll try my best to make it," Angel told them as she put her hand up to her nose. "For now, though, I think I need to call it a night, but uh…you and I will have a rain check on that dance, Steve—I'm looking forward to it."

Bucky's eyes widened when Angel said it, Steve smiling at her and even offering to walk her home, but Angel declined and took off, neither of them noticing her vanish into thin air back to her own time once she was outside. Steve shrugged a little bit when Bucky turned to look at him and nodded approvingly, Steve rolling his eyes a bit at his best friend, though he was giddy. Angel was finally the one thing in his life that he could really call 'his'.

"You asked her to dance, huh?" Bucky asked her and beamed. "I didn't think you had it in you—I thought all you cared about was the war."

Steve smiled and shook his head. "I'm doing what Angel told me to do."

"Go to war?" Bucky asked him, a bit confused.

"No," Steve said laughing before he glanced at the door she'd disappeared through, "I'm following my heart."

"I think your heart just walked right out that door," Bucky teased, and then he laughed as he ordered he and Steve one more drink.


	2. Super Soldier

**AUTHORS' NOTE:**

**We own only our OCs and nothing else.  
WARNINGS: Language, Sex, Violence, Blood, Dark Themes, Angst  
ENJOY!**

xxxx

Steve smiled when Angel leaned on the doorframe of his room, having already given her a key to his apartment even though that seemed too soon. All he knew was that he loved this girl in front of him, and he smiled at the look on her face, like she was so happy to see him, but so distracted by her own thoughts and he stood up from his place on his bed, going over some files for S.H.I.E.L.D. He cupped her face and pulled her in, letting his lips press against hers tenderly, letting the kiss deepen when it caught her attention and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

She'd gotten herself checked over by Reed before coming over and she knew everything about the apartment and hadn't needed to buzz in, she just came in. Now Steve was making her feel better and yet she was feeling a little bad about things and so she nipped at his bottom lip, knowing that would stop him—it normally did. Biting seemed to turn the super soldier on and he wanted to be a gentleman…so why did it take him longer this time to pull back?

"Baby, you're distracted," Steve told her as he kissed her forehead. "Did you jump?"

Angel nodded and looked him in the eye. "I love them. They're fun and they're real and they're worth everything and then some and it bothers me that my jumping isn't accomplishing anything. Maybe I should be fighting while I'm there—manipulating the past! I should have danced with you!"

"I knew you had to go," Steve said as he nodded, understanding where it was that she had been in the past now. "Besides, Bucky wanted to boast a bit that night that my sister finally told him that she loved him. It was something for him to hold on to when he was deployed."

"That makes it all worse!" Angel told him as she tossed her hands up into the air. "I didn't even get to see you off, did I?"

Steve shook his head and stroked her hair. "Howard said you were ill and the doctors were handling it."

"Only because I manipulated in a failsafe in his memories," Angel responded bitterly. "That's another thing—I've barely gotten to get to know my father. A little bit, but it doesn't help anything at all. Howard Stark from the past isn't the Howard Stark I grew up with…he's _livelier_ than my father. Losing Corrine probably messed him up for good and then the company boom and then he finally had my mother and just…did you call me 'baby'?"

Angel and Steve hadn't been on a real, actual date, even though they'd spent a _lot_ of one on one time together and they kissed sometimes so maybe they were an item, but neither of them had actually come out and said a thing. For the first eight months, Steve had been in a rut trying to adjust and all he had was Angel to lean on, but that made him feel so much better. It seemed like Steve was going to ask her at one point to go on a real date, but then the battle with the Chitauri had happened and Angel touched the Tesseract and now pure energy was the source of their biggest problem. Maybe she had just never seen any of this coming…maybe he loved her as much as she loved him because they _had_ known each other over a year now. Still, it wasn't the same.

Steve had pieces of their love story that Angel had to live without and it was bothering her and maybe she needed to be more straight-forward about this. In fact, Steve had the same idea in mind and kissed Angel again as he nodded, chuckling at the flush that rose in her cheeks because it wasn't as if she couldn't know. She and Steve had so much sexual tension—something her brother teased her about frequently—that it was actually kind of hard for her _not_ to know where this conversation was heading before it headed there. Steve pulled back and looked her in the eye, thumbs running along her cheeks as he held her gaze.

"The moment we get this more figured out, Angela Stark, I plan on properly taking this relationship farther than we've taken it," Steve admitted, blushing because he realized how that could sound. "Not, in a vulgar way, but just…I've been assuming this whole time that we were basically in a relationship because we're on the same page pretty much all the time, even though I know how you feel about this time travel business now that we know how you were in the past. It scares both of us. Still, sometimes I feel like you can actually read my mind even though I know that's not your gift."

Angel smiled and stepped into him more. "So, this whole time I've been falling for you and assuming we were an item, we basically were?"

"I should have properly asked you to go steady but we never have enough of these moments and I've been…it has been a really hard adjustment," Steve told her with a frown. "I shouldn't have, however, let that stop me from showing you how much you mean to me. Add in the fact that you're just experiencing what I experienced when I was frozen and we've got quite the dilemma on our hands. You're my future, Angel—know that."

"I do, and you're mine," Angel responded as her eyes sparkled, a little wet now. "First, though, I want to know all of our 'past'. I still have a bit to go through and we haven't even danced together."

"We'll dance," Steve replied with a smile, pulling her in. "For now though, how about we have a proper and official date before you jump again?"

xx

Corrine sat at Howard's desk, tapping her pen against her chin as she read through the files she'd just been given by him while he paced the floor in front of her nervously.

"Apparently this kid's got lots of problems," Howard said angrily, looking over at her, as she sighed rolling her eyes. "Asthma, heart problems, respiratory issues: this kid is not cut out for this project at all." Howard snapped throwing the glass he'd been holding in his hand at the wall, Corrine cringing when it shattered.

"Howard you're being melodramatic," Corrine said setting her pen down and pushing away from the desk, "and you've been drinking too much," she said standing up and crossing the room over to him. "You need to relax, and drink some water," she told him as she fixed his tie, smiling up at him sweetly. "Dr. Erskin says this kid's got heart," she said as she walked back over to the desk. "He's fit to be a soldier; he just needs a little push, so we're giving him that."

Howard sighed squeezing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "You're right," he said quietly, and Corrine nodded dramatically as she sat back down in his chair, crossing her legs as she went back to reading about the project.

It had been a couple of weeks since her last jump to the past and Angel was ready for it because she and Steve were at a new place in their relationship and she was done being just a bystander in her own 'past'. She was still trying to understand everything, but she caught on right away that this was where it all happened—Steve was going to go from the scrawny kid from Brooklyn she'd really come to love just as much as the one she'd met, and she wanted to find Howard. Angel was curious about what exactly this all entailed, even though she knew that it was going to happen and it was all going to be just fine. Man, time traveling was weird and at least she had a tissue on her to get rid of the bloody nose before she found her father.

Corrine stood up when there was a knock at the door, looking at Howard with a confused expression as he sighed. "I asked not to be disturbed," he muttered under his breath walking over to the door.

Corrine watched as Howard pulled the door open, revealing Angel standing on the other side and Corrine grinned. "Long time no see." Corrine could feel herself starting to get emotional; the last time she'd seen Angel it had been the night before Steve and Bucky left, and now it was almost a month later. "You didn't come and see them off," she said sadly, noticing Angel frown. "Steve's gone… in boot camp actually—he should be home soon though," she said shrugging some, "then off to war he goes." Corrine gestured with her hands, biting her lip before pulling Angel into a hug.

"I know, and I really wanted to be there but sometimes I'm pulled away and it's…it's a long story," Angel tried to explain as she returned Corrine's embrace. "Nothing would have made me happier than getting to see Steve before he left, but I'm glad to see you at least, nonetheless. Howard too, I suppose."

"Oh, well thank you," Howard replied rolling his eyes.

Corrine smiled at Angel. "Your cousin and I were just getting ready to go perform a, um," Corrine looked over at Howard, asking for permission to tell Angel what exactly they were doing here, and smiled when he nodded, "Super Soldier project," she said gesturing for Angel to follow her over to the desk, pointing down at the files. "Dr, Erskin is a brilliant man, believes he can transform an ordinary man, one with health problems out the wazoo into the greatest soldier America has ever known." Corrine spoke quickly, a bad habit she had when excited, smiling over at Angel. "Mr. Stark and I are helping him—well, Mr. Stark more than I; I just keep him in line," she said smugly, looking over at Howard as he gave her a mocking smile.

"Someone has to," Angel said as she picked up the files and looked them over. "Something tells me, that this has never been done before, however and it looks…painful. Experimental drug, experimental machine, experimental process—I mean, I assume that it was all consented of course but exposing the body to so much all at once has to be…"

She trailed off because she had a feeling that she wasn't supposed to know who the subject was, and even if she did, how would she know? Angel wasn't supposed to know things like this and that meant she had to keep her mouth shut and pretend like she was just getting all of this information for the first time even though she knew _all about_ the Super Soldier project. She'd been pouring over this information since she was a little girl and even more so since Steve had woken up from being frozen for 70 years in polar ice caps. It was a little exciting for her, but also terrifying because she wasn't sure that she was going to be able to watch Steve in pain no matter the fact that she knew that it was all going to work out just fine in the end.

Angel smiled instead as the thoughts ran wild in her mind. "For science, though, right?"

"Howard," Corrine turned when she heard the young woman's voice, "Dr. Erskin is bringing in the soldier; the test is about to begin, you and Ms. Rogers are needed." Corrine grinned excitedly and skipped over to Howard's side as he nodded.

"Alright, show time," he said rubbing his hands together, looking over at Corrine then to Angel. "Come on girls, time to change a man's life forever…or ruin it."

Corrine always got excited watching Howard work, she loved learning all the things he knew, and most of the time she even understood what he was saying. Science and engineering had always been the two subjects she loved the most, and that's exactly why Mr. Stark hired her…that and the fact she was a force to be reckoned with.

"_Ms. Rogers," Howard stood by his desk, a drink in hand as he stared down at the small young woman who came to the interview in a bright blue dress, and white heels, looking like she was just ready to head to the beach. "Why is it exactly you want me to hire you? Don't you have a…a husband to take care of? Kids to feed?"_

_Corrine raised an eyebrow, shaking her head slowly. "No, no husband, no kids, but I do have a scrawny little brother who's got a knack for sticking his nose in places it doesn't belong." She said quickly crossing her ankles as she watched Howard move closer towards her._

"_And you're not here just to get attention from the great and powerful Howard Stark?" He asked, kneeling down so he was eye level with her, noticing her lip's twitch, trying to hide her smile._

"_Mr. Stark," Corrine sighed shaking her head, "I'm not here to feed your ego." She said and stood up, pushing him out of her way gently as she walked over to his desk, glancing down at the mess he called organization. "In fact, I'm going to be brutally honest with you sir," she said turning back to him, her hands on her hips. "Your business is booming, but you have absolutely no idea what to do with it. You're disorganized, rude, a drunk, and quite honestly you are not qualified to be handling business decisions," she said with a shrug, holding up a finger when he opened his mouth, "but you are in fact brilliant. So brilliant, I believe you don't know what to do with yourself. So I'm asking you to hire me for you, so you can become the man you were destined to be," she said smiling over at him. "So you can actually be the great and powerful Howard Stark, but without me?" Corrine smiled resting her palms against the desk as she leaned towards him, "you're going to crash and burn."_

_Howard Stark swallowed, sinking down in the seat she'd been in, looking at her standing at the spot he was supposed to be in, and he downed the rest of his drink. "You're hired."_

Corrine stood beside Angel, her arms crossed across her chest as she watched the scientists ready the machine, counting down the seconds until the soldier arrived, and Corrine was anxious to see him. She had a whole speech planned, a way to flatter the man, a way to make him feel at ease before possibly putting his own life at risk for their little test…but when those doors opened, and Erskin walked in with the soldier the entire room fell silent and her eyes widened.

"Oh, Hell no," she said loudly, ignoring the gasps that came from the other women around her at the very unladylike exclamation, walking over to Howard as he began to laugh, slapping her clipboard against his chest for him to hold. "Steven Grant Rogers I swear to God," she stomped her foot, watching as Erskin led her brother down the metal stairs, him going to her side quickly as she started to rant. "Are you an idiot? Do you really want to die that badly? What were you thinking agreeing to this man's terms? Did he tell you the risks?"

It warmed Angel's heart to see Corrine so worked up, but it made sense to her because this was just how sisters reacted when their brothers were doing something stupid. This _was_ dangerous and he _did_ know what he was doing, but seeing them interact like this made her feel so many different emotions at once and she moved a little closer to them as she swallowed, trying not to cry. She hadn't thought that she would cry, but she knew she was going to get emotional because that was what she did and she wished that Corrine didn't have to feel this way for different reasons.

_Angel touched the barrier as Tony told Nick that he got the memo. "Jarvis…"_

_Everyone else was focusing on fighting off more giant creatures and not one of them heard the scream that she let out when the energy make contact with her. It short circuited her suit rather quickly, Loki smirking as he tried to hop off of the building after stabbing Thor, who was distracted by the sound, only to have the Hulk grab him and throw him into Stark Tower where Tony had been thrown out by Loki before. Thor pulled the blade out of his side and hurried over to Angel as Hulk tossed Loki around a bit until he was rendered unable to move, reaching out to touch her and getting shocked gently. Something about that energy had forced her onto the ground, Angel looking up at the sky and only vaguely being aware of Natasha coming up on the building._

_She had Loki's scepter and after checking Angel over—Angel who was recovering, but dazed—she told everyone on the comms that she could close the gap…but Tony said 'no'. Tony wanted to take the nuke through the portal to the Chitauri and when Natasha looked over at Angel who didn't have the feed anymore, she swallowed slowly. Angel seemed to sit up a little bit, Thor checking her over as he helped her to take the suit off, Angel slowly making her way over to Natasha._

"_You make it home to your sister, Tony," Natasha told him before nodding at Angel._

_Angel took the ear piece and put it in. "Just what do you think you're doing?"_

"_I'm ending this by taking the nuke to them," Tony responded slowly. "We'll talk about this when I get back, V."_

"_Yes, we will, because if you die before then, I will find a way to bring you back and then kill you," Angel threatened, tears in her eyes. "I will never forgive you if you die on me, Anthony Stark…"_

"_Don't be such a drama queen," Tony responded, though he knew this was a suicide mission, just as Steve had pointed out._

_Angel looked up as she saw Tony flying with the nuke, everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. cheering as they disappeared. Then it was up to Steve to tell Natasha to shut the portal because he was the one that was in charge right now giving everyone their orders._

"_Come on, Stark…" Natasha said as she looked up at the sky._

_Steve took a deep breath. "Close it,"_

"_We can't see Tony yet!" Angel protested._

"_Angel…we have to close it," Steve told her firmly._

_Angel made a face as Natasha shoved Loki's scepter into the device and destroyed the portal, the bomb having gone off and destroying all of the creatures that were left on Earth. They were all connected to the mother ship that Tony had just utterly destroyed and there was a look of relief on Angel's face when they saw Tony falling from the sky when the portal closed…until they saw he wasn't moving. The suit not able to function, Angel quickly made her way into the tower to borrow one of Tony's, getting out as Bruce in Hulk form caught him, slid down a building, and deposited him on the ground._

"_Move!" Angel said desperately, letting the suit come off._

_She gently moved in to touch her brother's face, using all of the strength that she had left to try and revive him, Hulk roaring. The roaring and the mix of her touch made Tony jump to life, looking around and telling them all that they needed to try the shwarma joint down the way cause he never had and they had won. He and Angel made eye contact, Angel stumbling as she stood, Steve catching her in his arms. He was wounded, but nothing would let him let Angel fall._

"_Time to arrest Loki for good," Sharon said as she looked up toward the tower where Hulk had subdued him during the battle._

_Angel nodded at that. "Yeah…I have a bone to pick with that bitch…"_

Steve sighed, nodding quickly as he tried to grab a hold of his sister, smiling at her weakly when she started to tear up, not sure if it was from anger or her being worried about his safety, or both.

"Corrine, I know, he told me, but I'm willing to try," he said looking into his sister eyes, the two the same height, just like they had always been. "I want to do this…for my country, for you, for Angel," he said looking over at her, smiling when she smiled at him.

"This could kill you Steven, you…you have too many health problems you can't do this," Howard cleared his throat, walking over to the arguing siblings, the look on his face one Corrine knew too well and she sent him a warning look, that he ignored.

"Ms. Rogers," he started smiling over at her, "Dr. Erskin says this kid's got heart," he said gesturing towards Steve, who smiled. "He's fit to be a soldier; he just needs a little push, so we're giving him that."

Howard looked pleased with himself as he repeated the words Corrine said in his office, and she glared at him. "I hate you so much sometimes," she said with narrowed eyes, pushing him when he laughed. "Steve," Corrine sighed, turning back to her brother and he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Corrine, please believe in me," he said moving his hand to her neck, smiling at her. "Just let me do this, please," he begged and she nodded, frowning still as she pressed her lips to his forehead before backing away.

Angel smiled a little bit. "So…is this what your heart is telling you to do?"

Steve nodded at that, smiling as she stepped up a little closer to him, taller than him in the past, but she knew that that was about to change. He was about to go through a transformation and it wasn't that she loved him better either way regardless of how physically attractive he had become—he was still Steven Grant Rogers. He had the same morals and ideals and that same look in his eye and he looked up at her and smiled, nodding at her because he knew what she was doing.

"I'm sorry that I didn't make it to see you off," Angel admitted as she reached out to cup his face, smiling as he leaned into her hand. "Life kept me away and I wish that it hadn't."

It was comforting for him to not only have his sister's permission, but to have Angel here giving him such pure tactile comfort, regardless of the fact that he wasn't sure why she _was_ here other than Howard being her cousin. She smiled and he smiled back, glad that the two women he loved the most in life were here to support him and to believe in him, completely confused when suddenly she had moved in, her lips against his. Angel hadn't known that this was their first kiss, but she had known that Steve had told her that she had made him understand that she loved him for him and this was how she was doing it. Steve even responded after a moment and then Angel pulled away and ran her fingers through his hair, nodding slowly.

Corrine stood beside Howard, letting him rest his hand on her shoulder reassuringly as Angel went to Steven, saying a few things to him out of ear shot while Howard pulled away to ready the machine. Corrine took in a shaky breath, smiling when Angel kissed her brother, seeing his entire face light up when she did. That was just the reassurance he needed, Corrine was sure.

"Ms. Rogers, come and help me for a moment," Howard called out and Corrine nodded, pulling herself away from watching Angel with Steven and went to his side, doing everything he asked quickly and making sure it was done right, because quite honestly even though the other people in the room were qualified to be doing the job, she didn't trust them one bit with her baby brother. Corrine nodded towards Angel when they started to hook Steven up to the machine, the woman coming over to stand by her side, both watching Mr. Stark quickly work on keeping the levels up.

"Mr. Stark? How are your levels?" Dr. Erskin asked slowly.

Howard smiled at him. "Levels are at one hundred percent. We may dim half the lights in Brooklyn, but we are ready…as we'll ever be…"

"We'll be right here the whole time," Angel promised, moving back to take Corrine's hand.

This was a complicated procedure and so Angel led Corrine up to the watching area after she and Steve shared one more glance, looking around the booth when she got there because she wanted to pinpoint the traitor. Corrine had enough to worry about right now and Steve was about to be in pain and it was in glancing around and nervously twitching her leg that she noticed that Corrine was smiling at her as Steve tried to get comfortable, his heart beating away with anxiety and anticipation.

"That was probably his first kiss ever," Corrine said as Angel made eye contact with her and blushed. "You had better treat him right."

Angel smiled at the protective nature that she and Corrine shared. "I plan on it."

"Good," Corrine told her with a nod before gluing her eyes on her brother. She knew what was supposed to happen: they were supposed to turn her sickly, scrawny baby brother into the example of a perfect man, but to her, Steve was already the perfect man. "I'm worried for him," Corrine whispered quietly, glancing over at Angel briefly. "Howard and I have gone over all the things that could go wrong…I really shouldn't be letting him go through with this," she mused, her arms trembling with fear and anticipation.

They watched as the scientists and doctors got Steve all strapped in and then Dr. Erskin tapped the microphone with his finger so he could give a speech. The whole while, even listening to it all, Corrine and Angel were watching Steve intently, trying so hard to just give him whatever comforting looks that he needed, wishing that there was something more that they could do, but there wasn't really. This was something that Steve was going to have to go through on his own and so Angel held Corrine's hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Dr. Erskin began, "today, we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace. We begin the series of micro injections into the subject's major muscles. The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change and then to stimulate growth, the subject will be saturated with vita rays."

Steve felt a needle prick. "That wasn't so bad."

"That was penicillin," Dr. Erskin said and Steve gave him a look. "Serum infusion beginning in 5…4…3…2…" he rested his hand on Steve's shoulder, "…1…"

The lever was flipped, the injection beginning, the blue liquid being inserted into Steve and when his eyes screwed shut, Corrine gripped Angel's hand pretty tightly and Angel found herself finding it hard to breathe or swallow. She wanted so desperately to take his pain away, but she was stuck in this booth watching from a distance, not sure of what to do. Angel tried to glance around to see if she couldn't find the guy who would steal the last serum injection, but instead she had to focus on Steve because that was where her heart was.

Corrine tightened her hand around Angel's even more, watching as they injected the serum into her brother, looking for any warning sides of his body denying it. It seemed to take, but the pain etched across his face didn't put her at ease and she briefly looked down at Howard, who gave her his winning smile that normally caused her to smile back just as brightly, but today that wasn't going to happen.

"Now, Mr. Stark," Dr. Erskin instructed, Howard nodding and turning his switch.

It was time for the machine, encasing Steve inside kind of like a cocoon, Steve even making a joke before Howard turned the dial and the real pain began. Angel almost wanted to cry, listening to the sounds that Steve was making as Howard turned the wheel, regardless of vitals being normal. It was a painful process and hearing the sounds that Steve was making now, crying out from the pain, Dr. Erskin pounding on the glass, asking if he was alright.

When Steve began to scream Corrine felt herself pull away from Angel, and she ignored the protests of her and of the other people in the booth as she hurried out the door, and down the stairs. "Howard, get him out! Take him out!" Corrine cried out, turning to Dr. Erskin who took a hold of her hand, turning to look at Howard with her.

Dr. Erskin gave the signal to shut it down, Angel getting up and moving out of the box, worried about him and yet knowing this would succeed. Steve was brave and he could do this, and it made her smile a little, laughing gently as a few tears fell, hearing Steve say that he could do this. She smiled as Howard continued, all of the equipment sparking before the brightness dissipated and the machine powered down before it opened up to reveal a muscular, taller, super soldier. Angel wanted to rush to him, amazed by what she had just seen, everyone starting to crowd him as Howard and Dr. Erskin got him down to the ground, Steve still panting. Angel made her way to Steve and gaped a moment, having seen him glistening with sweat before, but she had to make this look convincing…didn't stop her from gently reaching out to touch his chest a moment before she blushed and pulled her hand back.

Corrine stood beside Howard, her eyes wide as she stared at her _little_ brother. "That…happened," she pointed over at Steve, looking at Angel who had reached out to touch him, and she shook her head.

"Corrine," Steve laughed breathlessly, standing up straighter on his own, now towering over his older sister. "Wow Corrine, you really are short," he laughed and she just smiled up at him shaking her head slowly.

"Says you," she muttered, standing there amazed at the sight of her brother, seeing him like that—it was all making her head spin. When they were kids she always told him that puberty was going to hit him like a baseball bat to the face; that once his teen years came around he'd sprout up like a weed and never stop growing. That never happened, but now, now puberty hit him all at once and she was going to have a hard time keeping the girls off her brother when Angel wasn't around.

"We need to secure the serum," Angel found herself saying suddenly, like she'd just remembered something important.

The happy moment was briefly lost though as an explosion occurred up in the booth and Corrine felt herself tackled to the ground by Howard once gun shots were heard. From there it was all a blur, she briefly remembered seeing Steve run out after receiving a shirt, and she believed that Angel followed after him, but when she sat up, she noticed that blood was staining her nice white dress, and she looked over her eyes widening as she saw Dr. Erskin laying on the ground, dead, the last vial of serum stolen.

"Oh god," she said shaking her head, quickly turning to Howard who sat up. "Were you shot? Are you okay?" She asked quickly and Howard shook his head, telling her he was fine, and making sure she was okay too when he noticed the blood.

"Where is Angel?" he asked taking a deep breath.

Corrine shrugged and shook her head, no one noticing when the explosion happened, Angel fading into thin air. She had tried to move toward the door and Steve had panicked, but her nose simply started to spill blood out before she returned to her time, only to double over in pain and jump right back in time. Her knees and her palms hit the pavement pretty hard, Angel figuring that the heat of the explosion had cause the pure energy inside of her to freak out, her nose leaking blood onto the cement before she felt herself being run into, someone tripping over her on the ground…the perpetrator.

A few people in the room screamed when they heard more gunshots and Corrine stood up, ignoring Howard when he told her to come back. She hurried into the streets, seeing Steven running after the car, and she sighed yelling after him, but had no effect because her brother was a hero, he always had been and now he had the body, strength and agility to be the hero he was…and Corrine wasn't going to stop him from being who he was.

As the man got up, Angel saw Steve coming sprinting around the corner, still getting used to his body and incredibly confused about Angel being there, kneeling beside her. She was bleeding and she was hurt and in pain, but she just waved him toward the assailant and when he once again tried to help her, she reached up and manipulated him to do what she asked, Steve shaking off the warm feeling and taking off as her nose bled some more. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Angel followed after him, ready to hold her own and to help him before figuring out what just happened.

xx

Corrine was wiping at her eyes, sighing as she watched them clean up the blood from Dr. Erskin's body. She'd admired the man, she thought he was absolutely brilliant, and he was always so kind to her, and now he was dead, and his brilliance dead with him. She wished she could have done something to stop him, but what was she to do? She was just a girl, a clever one, but she wasn't able to stop a bullet. She felt Howard's hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him smiling a bit.

"How about a drink?" He offered, holding out the two glasses in his hand and she smiled, nodding in thanks as she took it from him, and chugged the liquid down.

"He did it," he said with a shake of his head. "Dr. Erskin created the perfect soldier." Corrine nodded, sighing when Howard wrapped his arm around her shoulders, letting her lean into him. "And you're the perfect soldier's sister, how's that make you feel?"

Corrine smiled shaking her head a bit. "I've always been the perfect soldier's sister: Steve's always been perfect."

Finding Steve wasn't very hard, Angel sitting down next to him in silence, feeling more comfortable than she had when she first started jumping around in time. Steve was at the height she remembered him being at, and even though he was sad that he'd lost his friend, Angel knew that he would be able to avenge him. Dr. Erskin's death had _not_ been in vain and Angel leaned against him to let Steve know that she was there for him whatever he needed. Besides, she had a lot to answer for and cleaned up or not, it was strange that she had somehow beaten him to the man and then fought him off when he went for her, Steve still getting used to his newfound power.

"You're different than most women," Steve said suddenly, looking at her.

Angel cringed because she knew that look—it was the same one that he had given her when he realized that she had been time traveling and was a mutant. It was the same look that he had given her when he had found out that she was lying to him and took two months to settle into the truth before he really spoke to her. They had had their fair share of falling outs, Angel and Steve, but she was hoping now would be different.

"I was raised to know how to defend myself," Angel explained, and it wasn't even a lie. "I'm much more capable than I appear."

Steve took a deep breath. "How did you know? You _knew_ he was going to take the last of the serum."

Corrine had decided that she was done spending time stuck down in what she now called 'the tomb'; she wanted to spend a bit more time with her Super Soldier brother, and she'd heard from a few gossiping nurses that he was sitting out front with Angel, so rather than disturb them she decided to sneak up on them, and eavesdrop. She'd caught Steve's question, and she bit her lip, thinking into it herself. How had Angel known that they needed to get the serum secure?

"He looked shifty," Angel explained with a soft shrug. "I have a sixth sense about trusting people, even if no one seems to understand that I do."

Again, that wasn't a lie. She had known that Thor could be trusted and Loki could not, and all of her faith had been put into Bruce Banner even though he was the Hulk—something Reed was helping him to control while he was trying to cure Angel of this problem of hers. It was bothering her that she and Steve weren't at a place here to be completely honest and she sighed when her nose started to bleed _again_. This was one of the longest bouts of a time jump, and she had a feeling that that meant her body would crash even worse when she got back if earlier was any indication.

"Maybe _you_ need some serum," Steve teased as he grabbed Angel a tissue and moved to wipe the blood off of her face. "You're beautiful even when you're bleeding all over the place."

Angel blushed and shook her head. "No, I'm not. This is probably one of those things that people pity me for."

"I don't think you'll be getting much pity from _anyone_ after keeping up with me today," Steve said smiling. "You were pretty amazing and it makes me wonder, why you're—"

"—because I love you. I mean I like you…I like you," Angel told him quickly, her cheeks flushed and her feet now firmly on the ground as she tried to put some distance in between her and this past Steve. "_Like_…I am here because I_ like_ you and I care about you…you _and_ your sister."

"I didn't mean with me, I meant here," Steve tried, but he was blushing now too. "You have the potential to be doing more than wasting away behind a desk, Angel. As much as I want you to be safe, you have a lot of skills."

Angel smiled and shrugged. "Like I said, I was taught from a young age to defend myself and I assure you that my skills are being put to use."

Steve nodded, sensing that there was more to that than she was telling him, but he was distracted by her and the way that she smiled and how she didn't look at him any differently. He was already noticing that women were starting to ogle him—even men were—and it was strange because they were looking at him like he was a different person and he wasn't. All that was different was the physical shell that encased who it was that he was…though he had to admit that he liked being taller than people—Corrine especially.

"Women are going to be all over you now," Angel said, almost like she was reading mind, but she was really just looking him over. "I'm not going to be able to compete either. Look at me. This isn't even the fashion these days."

"I think you look beautiful," Steve told her honestly, smiling when she blushed some more. "In fact, I never did tell you that night before I left for boot camp, just how stunning you looked."

Angel smiled at him. "I suppose we're even, because I never danced with you even though I desperately wanted to."

"That was for the best, I think…I don't actually _know_ how to dance. No woman has ever looked at me the way that you do," Steve explained with a shrug. "I probably would have stepped on your toes."

"I would have taught you, though it's possible that this new change might make you want to look into the other options that will be flinging themselves at you. Did you see what your chest became, Steve?" Angel asked him suddenly.

Corrine put her hand over her mouth, stifling her giggle when she heard them talking, hearing Steve get all mushy with Angel made her feel like a proud big sister, and she had the instinct to go out there and tease him about it. But she knew that if she ruined this moment he'd probably hold it against her, so she continued to listen in, doing her best not to laugh or say anything.

Steve chuckled and stood up too, crossing to her and taking her hands in his. "All I need is _you_."

"Well, you _have_ me," Angel responded with a smile, looking up at him. "This is something I'm going to have to get used to…looking up at you."

She had thrown that in purely for the fact that he was supposed to think that she was from this time and place and for _him_ it was the first time that he had ever been this tall. Still, it made Steve smile and he kissed her, taking initiative like she had taken before, making her smile and laugh gently, kissing him back. He hadn't really had a girl before and that made him really feel this in his stomach, his body shuddering pleasantly, stroking her soft, dark hair.

"I got lucky with you," Steve told her, resting his forehead against hers.

Angel smiled and stepped into him. "God works in mysterious ways, Steve Rogers. No matter how bleak things look, remember that everything is going to work out."

"And how do you know that?" Steve asked her with a chuckle.

"Blind faith," Angel replied with a smile.


	3. One Down, One to Go

**AUTHORS' NOTE:**

**We own only our OCs and nothing else. This chapter is one of my favorites! Expect some angst, but there is some cuteness next chapter…with more angst. It will get cute for a while soon!  
WARNINGS: Language, Sex, Violence, Blood, Dark Themes, Angst  
ENJOY!**

xxxx

Corrine was busy tiding up the home she shared with Steven for the past five years, a rather spacious three bedroom apartment with a basement, and even a small back yard. Their home was provided by Howard when she was hired, his way of thanking her for saving his business. But now the house was empty, Steve was overseas with Bucky, Lillian was off on the sidelines as a Captain America Girl, and Howard had gone overseas as well, leaving her there to take care of the financial side of the business.

Corrine really didn't mind being alone, but she still wasn't a fan of it. She was so used to having Steve and Bucky there to bother her when she was trying to do work, Bucky always trying to get her to go out dancing, and Steve always trying to get her to convince Mr. Stark to write him some sort of recommendation for the army.

Corrine missed them, she missed feeling Bucky's arms around her, and she missed hearing Steve laugh whenever she hit Bucky for putting his arms around her…she missed her boys, and she desperately needed them to be home or she might just go crazy. She sighed, her lips twitching a bit as she turned to her refrigerator and pulled out her pitcher of lemonade, and poured herself a glass. She grabbed the book she'd been reading and headed out onto the porch, leaving the screen door shut as she headed over to the porch swing. She took a sip of from her glass, sighing as she got comfortable in her seat, cracking open her book and pushing her glasses up a bit higher on her nose, only stopping when she heard someone stumble into her trash cans.

She looked up, squinting her eyes as she saw Angel leaning against her fence, her eyes widening when she noticed her bloody nose.

"Oh lord," she breathed out, setting her book down and hurrying down the porch steps. "Angel, sweetie," she said, opening the gate up as she wrapped her arm around Angel's waist. "How did you get here?" She asked, helping the bleeding woman up the steps and into her house, not even thinking to question what she was wearing this time.

xx

Steve paced the living room while Angel lay on the couch, her eyes closed but she could feel Steve's eyes boring into her as he practically paced a hole in the floor of her living area. They were in her house for once, Angel chewing on her lip because she didn't really know what to say as she knew _why_ he was angry. She'd been lying to him since Reed Richards had told her what the time jumping was doing to her and he'd figured it out because Bruce let it slip after her last checkup.

"I _knew_ that something happened to you, and you _lied to my face_!" Steve said angrily, shaking his head. "You…ANGEL!"

Angel sighed and looked at him. "God, please, just stop. I lied to you and I told you that everything was fine because everything was fine."

"This is _killing_ you! The time jumping is _killing you_!" Steve told her, shaking his head and sitting on the coffee table. "Baby, please…you have to more actively work with Reed to fix this."

"I think we both know that more time jumping is in my future," Angel sighed, sitting up and cringing. "It has been two weeks since I last jumped, and—"

"—and you can't even heal yourself!" Steve cut her off, putting his head in his hands. "You let me go on about joking about you needing serum and then…come on, Angel. That whole time we were together, you knew you were dying."

Angel bit her lip and reached out her hands to hold his, Steve looking up slowly to make eye contact with her as she scooted to the edge of the couch, tears in his eyes. He'd already lost Bucky and his sister and he couldn't lose Angel too…not now…not when he had finally found a place to call home and woman to settle down with. Shaking his head, Angel just smiled sadly and pulled him to her, stroking his hair as he buried his face in her chest and held onto her, nodding when Angel kissed his hair.

"Reed and I will figure it out," Angel promised him with a nod. "You and I only ran into each other a few more times, right? What if after that, Reed and I fixed it?"

Steve sat up and cupped her face. "What if after that you died? Angel, I love you. I love you more than anything and I _cannot_ lose you."

"Steve," Angel said gently, leaning in and kissing him, letting the words fill her up, "baby, I love you too. Everything is going to be okay…everything, I promise."

xx

Part of Angel felt bad that Corrine and Bucky hadn't been there this whole time she and Steve had really been making a go of things, and it hurt every time she jumped because she got to see them and she loved them. She got to see them every time and while she didn't have enough power to do anything about it right now she was planning on talking to Reed so that she could find a way to make this better. That didn't stop her from being incredibly confused when she found herself time jumping to Corrine…while Steve was _overseas_.

Corrine forced Angel to sit at the breakfast table, hurrying over to grab a dishrag from her drawer, and went over to Angel. "Here honey," she said handing it to her, frowning as Angel started to wipe the blood from her nose, noticing her staring at her strangely.

"What is it?" Corrine laughed shaking her head as she put her hands on her hips, and Angel smiled, cleaning the rest of the blood from her lip as she shook her head.

"Nothing, you just look like the stereotypical forties house wife," Corrine made a face, looking down at what she was wearing, her hand brushing over the yellow dress and frilly apron she wore.

"This is the forties sweetie," Corrine laughed a bit as she untied the apron from her waist, and folded it over the chair beside Angel. "So, how exactly did you get here?"

Before Angel was able to answer there was a knock at the door, and Corrine sighed. "One second, that must be Mrs. Lewinski; she brings me muffins every Tuesday," Corrine said happily as she walked over to answer the door, slowing down a bit when she saw the two highly ranked soldiers at the door, their arms folded behind their backs. Corrine swallowed down the lump in her throat, not hearing Angel walk up behind her when she reached the door.

"Ms. Rogers?" One of the men asked through the screen door, and Corrine nodded slowly reaching to open up the door as one of the soldiers moved his hands from his back, a little yellow slip of paper in his hands. "I'm sorry to inform you that Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes has gone missing in action," he said, holding the paper out, and Corrine took it slowly. "He's presumed dead."

Corrine looked up at the men and then down at the paper quickly, shaking her head. "You're mistaken…" she said now, "Bucky wouldn't go missing…Bucky, Bucky promised," she said and the men frowned.

"I'm sorry for your loss ma'am," he spoke softly. "These letters were found; they're all addressed to you from Sergeant Barnes."

Corrine took them from him, nodding slowly before closing the door, and took in a breath as she turned around to face Angel, her bottom lip quivering.

Angel was still a bit disoriented, trying to figure out why it was that she was here of all places because she thought that she just time jumped to _Steve_. Apparently, she was drawn to Corrine too, and she understood that, she was just a bit confused and to be here, then of all times? She wasn't quite sure what to do because she didn't have the words…she knew that Bucky wasn't dead yet and yet she couldn't _know_ that at all, so she felt like she was absolutely no help at all.

Corrine felt her knees give out when Angel took a step towards her, and she fell to the ground, Bucky's envelops scattering across the floor as she started to sob. "He's gone, Bucky's gone." She cried, feeling Angel's arms wrap around her waist.

He promised her that he'd come back. They were supposed to get married, they were supposed to have babies and grow old together but now he was gone, and she didn't even get to see him one last time. She didn't get to say goodbye, she didn't get to become Corrine Marie Barnes.

"I'm going to make you coffee…tea or lemonade is just not going to cut it," Angel found herself saying, helping Corrine to the couch and stroking her hair. "Hey…he's not necessarily dead, Corrine…he's just missing right now."

"_You and I both know just how fast missing can become dead!" Angel said frantically as she sobbed into Rhodey. "Help me…please…help me to pinpoint him."_

_Rhodey sighed loudly. "I can't just…just what is it that you expect me to do, Angel?"_

"_HELP ME FIND MY BROTHER!" Angel exclaimed, but she sighed and shook her head. "You know what? Never mind. I can do this all on my own."_

She never had to though—she had Adrienne Mett, or Andy—and Andy had helped her out by getting her to focus. Tony was the only thing that held Angel together sometimes and she knew that this was different because they were different feelings, but there were similarities. All that Angel could do was get Corrine to get to a calmer place, and so she picked up the envelopes and got them to her, heading out to make her coffee before bringing it back to her.

Corrine was sitting on her couch, a few opened letters from Bucky scattered across her coffee table as she wiped at her eyes with her handkerchief. She'd read through some, and found that though it was comforting to know how much he loved her, it made it all the worse. Corrine had already gotten a hold of a plane willing to bring her to where Howard and Steve where, and she was supposed to fly out this Thursday, and she was going to do her damn best to convince Steve to come back to Brooklyn with her.

"James was always so brave," Corrine said quietly, looking over at Angel. "He probably got taken trying to save one of his men," she whispered as she shook her head, feeling more tears threatening to spill from her eyes and groaned, burying her face in her hands.

Angel sat down next to her and stroked her hair. "Taken isn't dead—it isn't gone forever. I have a brother too. He's older, but a while back he was kidnapped and it was all under wraps for a little while and you know what I did? I took matters into my own hands because I mean…he was my _brother_. This is Bucky Barnes. This is the man that you want to spend the rest of your life with and that means a sacrifice or two. We'll find him. He's not dead, I believe that. Hey, you know what? I will meet you there, alright? I have a few loose ends to tie up, but I'm there. I care about you so much more than you understand."

Corrine nods slowly, she really wanted to believe that Bucky could be alive, but she didn't think she could stand the heartbreak if he turned out not to be. "I don't know what I'm going to do if he's dead Angel," she cried looking up at her new friend, wiping at her eyes. "Bucky's…he's the only man I've ever, the only…" she trailed off, shaking her head again as she breathed in a shaky breath, leaning back against the couch. "Thank you Angel," she whispered reaching over to take Angel's hand in hers. "I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here right now…if I was alone…" Corrine trailed off, leaning her head against Angel's shoulder, letting her friend comfort her when she felt herself start to break down again.

xx

Corrine had lost track of where Angel had run off to once they landed at the camp Howard and Steven were at, and once she hopped off the plane, totting her suitcase with her she received quite a few cat calls. While normally they wouldn't bother her at all, she couldn't help but take it to heart, because when she last saw Bucky, when she was seeing him off, he'd hid until she walked past him, and cat called. It was stupid, but Corrine right now…everything was reminding her of Bucky and she hated it.

But she marched on, ignoring the horny soldiers as she went straight for Howard Stark's tent, and let herself in. When she walked in he stood up quickly, smiling at her, happy to see her, but he knew already that Bucky had been declared missing. He'd helped her brother get to where they suspected he'd be held at after all.

"Corrine," he said as he stood, walking over to her when she tried to smile back at him but faltered by bursting out into tears, and he walked over quickly wrapping his arms around her. He was never really good with emotions, especially one's like this, but he'd come to care for Corrine after all the years of working with her, and seeing her like this, so broken, it broke his own heart, which most thought didn't exist.

"I'm sorry," Corrine cried into his chest shaking her head as she pulled back, wiping at her eyes, trying to calm down. "I'm such a wreck Howard," she mumbled, looking up at him as he nodded.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Corrine," he said handing her a tissue from his pocket, taking her hand and making her sit down on the little cot in his tent, sitting down beside her.

"Where's Steve and Lillian?" She asked as she wiped at her eyes, and Howard looked away as he stood up quickly, thinking it was best to stand as far away from her as he could possibly get.

"Well, Lillian is off getting changed I'm sure…I'll send for her soon," he said nervously, watching as she nodded, "and uh, well Captain America is…well he's on a mission."

Corrine looked up at him, her eyebrows creasing together in confusion. "A mission? Steven's mission is to tote around in a leotard and entertain the troops, what sort of mission is he on?" She demanded and Howard let out a nervous laugh.

"Well, see, your brother…he may or may not have found out where they were holding Bucky and went to go save him and the rest of the prisoners of war…by himself…" Howard trailed off, taking a step back when the small girl rose to her feet, the look on her face one Howard was honestly terrified off.

"He what?" She snapped. "What kind of idiot would let him go on a suicide mission? By himself, nonetheless?" She yelled angrily, a few soldiers stopping when they heard her shouts.

"Uh, a really stupid man obviously, and if I find him I will wring his neck, for the both of us," Howard said with a firm nod.

"Excuse me Mr. Stark, reports on Roger's state: he's made it to the base unharmed, but we lost him once he entered," a soldier reported, and Howard glared at him.

"Thank you," he grumbled angrily, slowly turning back to look at Corrine, her jaw clinched, and her hands balled up into tiny fists. "Corrine…Corrine I can ex—"

"—YOU STUPID, SELFISH LITTLE MAN!" She shouted storming towards him, Howard quickly ducking out of his tent and towards the control center where he'd be safe beside Colonel Phillips.

"Corrine, Corrine sweetie let's talk about this for a moment!" Howard begged his hands held up as Corrine stormed towards him.

"NO! NO! I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Corrine shouted, snatching her heel from her foot and throwing it at him, glad when it hit him in the head. "YOU HELPED MY BROTHER GET HIMSELF KILLED!" She shouted, going to grab her other shoe and threw it, but this time Howard dodged it in time, Colonel Phillips watching with raised eyebrows.

"He's not dead though! You heard what the man said! He made it in safely!" Howard defended, moving to the left when she went to the right, the two going on like that up until a gun shot was fired, causing them both to duck and cover, and a few troops to come running over.

"This is a war God damn it," Colonel Phillips shouted as he put his side arm back in it's place, "Not a damn free for all where you two can work out whatever damn frilly drama you got going on!" He said looking over at Corrine as she wiped her eyes. "Darling, what has Mr. Stark done?" He asked sweetly and Corrine glared over at him.

"Don't you patronize me!" She shouted, pointing a finger at him, about to tear the Colonel a new one when Lillian came over, her hand wrapping around Corrine's wrist, making her turn around, and at the sight of Lillian, Corrine began crying again.

"Shush," Lillian whispered stroking the back of Corrine's hair as she held her close, looking over at the Colonel. "Sergeant James Barnes was her…her fiancé," they weren't exactly that official, but Lillian wasn't entirely sure how to label them, "and this is Corrine Rogers, Steve's older sister," she explained, and the Colonel frowned, nodding as he sighed, and leaned against the table.

Lillian was able to get Corrine calmed down, and one of the other Captain America girls brought her over a cup of tea while Howard had the fresh cut on his head caused by Corrine's heel looked at, everyone silent as Corrine took in all the news she could on Bucky's well-being, and where Steve had gone.

Steve wasn't aware of how much more Angel was jumping, but she was doing fairly well even though some headaches had started along with the nose bleeds. For the most part everything was alright, but she was feeling a bit out of it when she found herself in a camp, making a face at her clothes and heading to find Howard. He had to be here, or Steve at least, and it made her smile when she saw him—he had a suitcase for her. The moment that he heard about Steve crashing the plane he'd know the truth, but for now the failsafe in his head was still in place.

"There you are!" Howard exclaimed, hugging Angel even though she was feeling a bit weird about it. "What _is_ this fashion you're always wearing? Don't say Paris—it would be a lie."

Angel shrugged a bit. "I make my own clothes. Someday, these will be fashionable…I'm calling it a pencil skirt."

"I don't think that will catch on," Howard teased, groaning when she hit him in the arm.

She beamed when Howard rolled his eyes at her, looking at Corrine. "Keeping him in line, I hope? Any word on what's going on?"

Corrine glared over at Howard. "He's going to be lucky if he has me after this damn war's over," she spat out angrily crossing her arms over chest. "He's sent Steve on a suicide mission—all we know is that Steve was able to make it in…that was the other day."

A commotion caught them both off guard, Angel realizing that something was going on outside of the tents, and so after making herself feel more presentable, she hurried out to see the men flooding back. So much for a suicide mission. Steve was back and everyone seemed to be accounted for, which meant that he had just proved himself to be a hero and it made her beam and move toward him even though she knew she couldn't stay here…as much as she wanted to. Angel wanted to be here for Steve every bit of the way.

"You don't call, you don't write…" Angel teased him, feeling infinitely happier with his eyes on her. "You don't even sketch me pictures."

Steve reached out to take her hand. "We had to improvise—and I _do_ write you."

Corrine stayed in her spot, not bothering to get up because she just felt so emotionally exhausted, and it was affecting her physically. She was tired of crying, of shouting, she just wanted to see her brother.

"Corrine," Corrine looked up when Lillian spoke to her, her and Howard both smiling and she felt a hand on her shoulder, squeezing her gently.

"You come looking for me Corrine?" Corrine sat up a bit straighter when she recognized the voice, and she went to turn, but was beat to it as he moved to stand in front of her, crouching down so he was eye level with her, his blue eyes staring right into her brown ones.

"Bucky," her voice was faint, and she leaned forward, her hand going to his face, her thumb tracing the cut on his cheek, her eyes tearing up when he winced some. "Bucky…you need to shave," she laughed brokenly, and his smile reached his eyes, "and you need a bath," she stated, before she started to cry, and threw herself into Bucky's arms, causing him to fall back onto his bottom, Corrine on her knees as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his cheek, and then to his lips, holding on tighter, not wanting to ever let go.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips, kissing her again, breathing in the familiar smell, a smell he missed most.

Having her here in his arms was probably the best thing that could have happened to him; he'd been stuck in that base, tortured, taunted. They found that picture of her and said so many horrible things, but here she was, his Corrine…she was here and in his arms and nothing felt more perfect in the world.

"I love you too Bucky."

xx

Corrine had changed, she'd showered, and she had kissed Bucky for a very, very long time. In fact, she wouldn't have stopped if it wasn't for the fact Steve demanded they stop because it was making him uncomfortable, but now Howard, after apologizing to Corrine profusely, had convinced them all to go to the only bar near the camp. Corrine stayed by Bucky's side the entire time, her soldier still worn down from his capture, and tired, and wanting nothing more to go sleep in his bed with Corrine at his side, but manned it out for her sake.

Corrine smiled at him from their spot at the bar, Howard sitting beside her, his shot glasses already lining up while she ran her hand up Bucky's arm. "You're okay right?" She asked, smiling when he pulled her stool closer. "Nothing I need to be worried about?" She asked when he took his hand in hers, pressing his lips to her knuckles.

"No, no I'm fine," he said, running his thumb along her fingers smiling at her. "Just happy you're here," he whispered, and she smiled back brightly.

"I'm happy I'm here too," she whispered, "and I am not leaving, not until you're out of this war." She said, wrapping her other hand around his dog tags, and pulled his lips down to hers, really not caring about being ladylike at the moment as she kissed him.

Angel's disappearances were getting easier and easier to calculate, and though Steve wanted to get to the bottom of what was ailing her, Howard kept telling everyone to leave it alone. Steve wondered if there was something truly wrong with her, and wanted to see more of her, but it had been ages since he had seen her last and that wasn't even her doing: he was Captain America now. He had been dealing with his own team and his new life and he hadn't had much time to really do anything other than that.

Not see Angel, not see Corrine…nothing but deal with Hydra, this time mostly saving Bucky.

This was a big deal though, this night—strategizing against Hydra, getting ready to assemble a team and get his shield…Steve didn't even have his shield yet, or a costume. All he knew was that he needed to assemble a team and his sister was on edge because Bucky had been rescued from being thought to be dead, Corrine spending as much time with him as possible and still finding time to make sure that Steve was alright…and then Angel had showed again.

Steve should have known that Angel showed up when he needed her most, like a guardian angel, and he just smiled as he saw her at the bar, walking up to her and leaning down to her ear, fingers gliding through her hair. She closed her eyes and welcomed the contact able to completely be in this moment with him because she had been for a jump this time around. Her Steve had been doing training with other operatives for Fury and really taking reins of being the leader of the Avengers and she hadn't seen him much.

"You owe me a dance," he whispered to her.

His breath on the shell of her ear made her whole body tingle, making her smile and shiver. "You owe me a proper hello…"

He wasn't sure what it was about Angel that made him feel this way, but Steve Rogers felt the butterflies in his stomach as she said that and started to stammer over his words. Instead, Angel giggled and then kissed him, perfectly alright with this somewhat whirlwind romance because she knew that they had the time. He would go down thinking about her, wake up to see her, and then they'd start to really start a life for themselves…Steve here just didn't know that, and sometimes that bothered her. She could be here and feel like it was all perfect and together and he wouldn't understand—it dawned on her that her Steve must feel the exact same way with her because she was the one with half of the story.

"I've missed you," Angel whispered, looking Steve in the eye.

Steve smiled and nodded. "I've missed you too."

"I should cash in on that dance…" Angel whispered again, glancing at his mouth before looking him in the eye again. "It's a good song for it, but are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Steve said suddenly, feeling flustered and out of his element. "I've got the right partner."

Angel smiled and told him that she did too, leading him out onto the dance floor, her hand in his, Steve pulling her toward him like he'd seen Bucky do to Corrine and others a time or two. She felt like she fit right there in his arms and he felt the same way, smiling down at her and resting his hand on her waist when she guided it there, both of them looking at their other hands, their fingers interlacing. His breathed hitched in his throat, their hearts beating at a quickened pace, Angel smiling even though she knew she was shaking a little too.

"Normally you would lead, but first we'll just get a gentle movement going…just take a deep breath and feel the music," Angel told him softly, eyes on his, smiling more as he leaned into her and let his body sway as hers was. "Don't worry, Steven, I won't make you do anything fancy like a twirl or a jive."

Steve chuckled at her humor to make the situation less nerve-wracking. "I'm afraid I'm going to step on your feet."

"Well, if it's by you, I don't mind being stepped on," Angel responded, moving to rest her head on him, her forehead in the crook of his neck. "You really are tall…here, this is easier…"

"I think you're really going to have to get used to me being tall," Steve laughed, flushing another shade of red when she placed both of his hands on her hips and then wrapped her arms around his neck. "You've danced before, haven't you?"

"Not really, no," Angel admitted, stroking his hair and letting the tip of her finger trace the shell of his ear. "My friend, Andy—well, Adrienne, she's a woman—and I wanted to know how, so we watched an old flick, put on some music and taught ourselves."

She had a feeling that she'd lost him in the story when she had said 'old flick', but she just kept going, telling him a little about Andy and he smiled and told her some stories about Bucky, Corrine and even about Bucky _and_ Corrine. He felt pretty proud that she had only danced with him and that she had even wanted to dance with him when he had been shorter than her and it suddenly became clear to him that this was it. This was the girl. Corrine had Bucky and it had been about time that she realized that, but Steve? He'd never really had a prospect other than Lillian and while he liked her, it hadn't been the same connection and she had known it too.

"You disappear a lot," Steve said suddenly, feeling his heart clench at the prospect of her running off again to deal with more doctors like Howard said she did. "It makes me worry."

"You don't have to worry about me, Steve, honest," Angel told him, kissing him gently and then pulling back.

"I was beginning to think you had cancer or something," Steve admitted sadly. "I don't want to lose you."

Angel smiled at him. "Trust me when I tell you that you're going to be stuck with me for a _very_ long time, Captain Rogers."

"Promise?" Steve asked her.

"Promise," Angel responded nodding.

xx

"I don't think it's fair!" Angel exclaimed as she entered a training room.

She'd been directed by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to where Steve was, and while he was in the middle of training, having Angel came in made Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov sigh and tell everyone to take a break. They knew all about her medical condition right now—so did Fury and a couple of other high up S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives—and they knew that it was tied into Steve Rogers, which made them both smile most of the time. This was just down time with the 'troops', but Angel was clearly distraught and a little pale.

"I don't think that any of this is _remotely_ fair! And you know what? I don't just time jump to you!" Angel told him shaking her head.

Natasha's eyes widened. "Angel…what are you saying?"

"I jumped to Corrine," Angel explained, shaking her head. "I jumped to her and it was really disorienting and yet I felt like I needed to be there. She needed me when she heard about Bucky going MIA and I love being with her and what? She goes _missing_?! Clint? Can you get me her files?"

"What do you expect to do?" Steve asked as he crossed the room to her. "This all, already happened and you know it."

"It might have already happened _then_, but it hasn't already happened _now_. I have to be time jumping for more of a reason than you being my soul mate," Angel said in an exasperated voice and then she blushed when Steve smiled at her. "Nat said it first…"

Natasha rolled her eyes. "I said it to your face in private where no one could hear us, it was _you_, my dear, that just told your super soldier to his face that you think he's your soul mate."

Angel put her face in her hands, embarrassed, but she didn't know why she was because Steve just chuckled, which made her give him a look—a look that wiped off her face almost instantly. His lips were on hers as he cradled her in his arms, Natasha smirking when Angel deepened the kiss and nipped at Steve's lips, clearing her throat when that made a very obvious manly grunt come out of his mouth. Clint laughed because he honestly didn't know how the two were still virgins when it was clear that they got each other's pulses racing, but he just handed Angel a high tech notepad when she blushed and pulled away from Steve.

"Not that the soul mates make-out isn't fun to watch, but here," Clint told her, having pulled up all he could on Corrine.

Angel nodded slowly and took a deep breath. "Clint…you think you could also get me some information about the Hydra reinforcements from the night of Bucky's death?"

"Angel…" Steve began, not sure of what she was thinking, but also completely aware of that look in her eyes. "Angel…please don't get yourself killed."

"I'm not going to get myself killed, Steven," Angel said shaking her head as she moved to leave the training room. "I'm going to save our friends."

xx

Corrine pursed her lips, pushing her glasses up higher on her nose as she stared down at Howard's blue prints for Steve's new costume, and his shield, thinking to herself it was all too surreal for her. "Why don't we just put him in a blue jumpsuit," she said looking over at Howard as he sighed. "Get a pair of red knickers, and paint AMERICA on his chest?" She said mockingly, smiling when she heard Bucky laugh from beside her.

"It's your brother," Howard said as he snatched his blue prints back. "If you want him to look like a creep than find, you control it, but if you want him to look like a hero, let me work in peace," he demanded, pointing towards the door for the two of them to leave, and Corrine rolled her eyes.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch Howard," she said tapping her nose with her finger. "I only kid, it looks great." She said with a smile, before turning back to talk to Bucky, letting Howard work on coming up with ideas for Captain America's shield.

This time jump Angel could get used to.

Not only did she end up in a base where she easily changed her blouse even though she kept the pencil skirt as it was becoming her trademark, but she got to see what happened. She wandered around trying to find Howard, smiling at him when she found him and wondering if it was wrong that she spent so much time here for Steve and _not_ for her father. Angel rested her hand on his and he turned and smiled at her, ruffling up her hair a little like Tony always did to her.

"I always thought you were more of a dick," Angel said and then coughed. "Excuse my French."

"I hope you don't think you're going to raise my future children with that mouth of yours, Cuz," he told her laughing.

Angel scoffed unintentionally. "Raising your own children might do you some good."

Howard gave her a look and she just waved it off like it was a joke, apologizing for her words and then asking about Steve instead. That made Howard smirk and start to tease her and the whole thing was making her feel this crushing pain in her chest because her father was cold and distant and more interested in training Tony to take over his company than he was in dealing with his little girl. So, Angel excused herself when she started to get teary-eyed and went to find Steve so that he could choose a shield, seeing a blonde flirting with him.

Steve hadn't been aware at first that it was happening, but then she touched his tie and Angel cleared her throat and he looked…he looked _guilty_. He wouldn't have done anything, but it was almost like he was being caught red-handed and Angel reached out to remove the woman's hand from Steve, taking his tie and pulling on it in a less than happy fashion. Steve almost preferred the touch to be gentler, but Angel was clearly jealous and it made him smile, which made her huff and the blonde went back to her newspaper.

"Howard wants to see you," Angel said as she let go of him.

Steve started to tuck his tie back into his uniform. "I was just about to stop her! I didn't realize it at first! Women aren't normally—"

"—interested in you? Well, newsflash: now they are!" Angel responded angrily as she turned on her heel to go back to Howard. "I am going to have to personally remove their body parts…"

"Angel…" Steve tried, reaching out to grab her wrist. "Hey, just look at me."

Angel turned to look at him and took a deep breath. "I'm upset."

"Clearly,"

"Did you like it?"

Steve paused a moment and took a deep breath. "It was kind of nice, but she isn't you."

"…yeah, I have to start killing women that even look at you," Angel huffed out before returning to the room with the shields and weapons. "Howard, I suggest you sleep with that blonde you call a military secretary before she touches Steve again and loses her arm!"

Corrine and Bucky both laughed at Angel's out burst. "You're telling me that little Stevey here has other women wanting him?" Bucky asked, holding his hands up when Angel sent him a glare.

"Bucky don't agitate her, you know how girls get when jealous." Bucky nodded at that, the smirk on his face making Corrine roll her eyes.

"Boy do I," he teased and Howard laughed, making Bucky look over at him.

"I recall being punched because I danced with Corrine at my ball." Howard directed towards Bucky, Corrine laughing as she remembered. "_My_ ball," Howard said again, and Bucky nodded.

"You deserved it,"

"Yeah you did touch my bottom," Corrine said her cheeks flushing a bit as Howard shrugged.

"In my defense I was drunk, and it's nice," he muttered, Bucky glaring, Corrine blushing and Steve groaning, before he spotted a circular shield.

Angel looked at Steve looking at the shield, drawn to it. "That's vibranium."

"Yeah," Howard said, raising his eyebrows at her. "It's completely vibration resistant."

"Why isn't it standard issue?" Steve asked, looking at the Starks.

"That's the rarest metal on Earth," Howard explained with a shrug. "What you're holding there—that's all there is."

Angel smiled a little, but she caught sight of the blonde out of the corner of her eye and sighed loudly, Steve following her gaze. It was just to see what she was sighing about and he desperately wanted her to know he was sorry even though nothing happened and so he smiled at her even though he hadn't caught her catching him looking over at the secretary.

"What do you think?" Steve asked her happily.

Taking another deep breath to try and calm herself down, Angel realized that she wasn't calm at all and grabbed a gun off of the table. She pointed it at the shield and fired off three shots, Steve defending himself while everyone else tried to figure out what it was that had just happened. Corrine's eyes widened as she peered at Angel, her eyes wide, Bucky's arms wrapped around her head as she put the smoking gun back on the table.

"I suppose it will do it's job," Angel said angrily, before walking away, Steve staring at her in shock, and the room filling with Bucky's laughter.

xx

As Angel landed on the top of the train, she had to catch her balance and take as deep a breath as she could in this cold environment, not really knowing what to do right now. She was here, and Steve had told her that she fought with them, Bucky and Steve both caught off guard when she maneuvered into the train car. To Angel, this was the finish line and it was now or never and she had to ready herself for a fight against Hydra robotic soldiers. Steve would be able to carry on, and she would bring Bucky to her present…it was the only thing that made sense.

She was fairly certain that she was ready for that.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Steve asked as Angel grabbed an assault rifle from the weapons car.

Angel shrugged a bit. "I'm doing what needs to be done."

"Bucky, watch her!" Steve said angrily.

He had no time to process this turn of events, especially not already on the train, but at least she was gun ready and she looked like she'd held one before…this confused him. Angel was normally a pistol kind of girl, but right now she was an assault rifle kind of girl, that was probably going to have to show her powers at one point or another—oh, how much fun _that_ would be to explain. Still, she was about to comment about how ominous this all felt when she found that the doors had slid shut and they were separated.

Now it was just her and Bucky and then Steve on his own, a Hydra robot soldier powered by the Tesseract to fight Steve, and a regular foot soldier for Bucky and Angel. They had enough inside each of the spaces to take cover, but Angel knew that sooner or later something bad was going to happen and she had to get this done as she knew that eventually Steve blasted a hole through the door as he had told her about it, and Bucky would pick up the shield, get shot by the robot that wasn't really dead, and then the vibrations would send him out of the car, where the siding would fall off and he would fall to his death.

That couldn't happen this time around.

So Angel started to advance slowly on the soldier, Bucky seeing her do that and started to do the same, Angel making a face at him and shooting at the soldier. She didn't need Bucky to try and protect her right now, when she was trying to protect him and in him protecting her, he just might get himself killed a completely different way…though he had fallen, hadn't he? No, she needed him to start hanging back and had a feeling that she was going to be faced with another hero and that thought terrified her because she needed him safe and then she work on the Corrine situation and they would get to have their future. Angel was going to make sure of it.

"What are you doing?" Angel asked him.

Bucky glanced toward Steve and then shot at the soldier, who took cover. "I promised him that I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"Sweet as that is…stay back…" Angel responded. "I can handle myself."

"Can't do that, Sweetheart," Bucky replied. "He's attached, so you can't get hurt."

Sighing loudly, Angel popped out and tackled the soldier to the ground, knocking his gun out of his hands and tugging on the helmet. With a touch to his skin, he was out like a light, Bucky standing up and wondering what in the world happened before Steve had subdued the robot and blown a hole in the door. Bucky was still standing there gawking at her when she stood up, Steve coming into the car and looking at the two of them as Angel casually stood up and almost fell over because the use of her powers was affecting the pure energy in her system.

Steve was right to her, catching her in his arms, noting that her nose was bleeding a lot more than it had ever before when he'd seen her. She had just used up almost all of the energy that she had left for this jump and she wasn't done, Bucky suddenly moving as well, Angel shaking her head and steadying herself. Bucky wanted to know what she had just done, but she started moving to the open door, Steve hurrying to her, Bucky following.

"What the Hell just happened?" Bucky demanded.

Angel shook her head. "We're not finished yet…"

"_You_ are," Steve said, grabbing her hand.

"God, I'm sorry," Angel responded, reaching up to touch his face.

He felt a tingling, warm sensation and let her go, Bucky astonished that she had now just gotten her way twice, but he couldn't be astonished for long. The robot was still alive and Angel charged at it, touching it before it shot at her. She had dealt with the Tesseract before and it was easy to shut the robot down, but not as easy as it would have been had she been at full power. Steve regained control of himself just in time to see the robot shoot her, but then it crumpled to the ground, and so did Angel.

"ANGELA!" Steve cried, to her in a heartbeat.

Angel coughed, blood coming out into her hand. "That's not a good sign,"

"What were you thinking?" Steve asked her, applying pressure to the wound on her abdomen.

Angel knew she didn't have the time and looked up as Steve applied pressure to the wound. "I came back in time to save you from dying."

"I'm sorry, what?" Bucky asked her incredulously. "I am not an idiot and there is no such thing as—"

"—she's losing a lot of blood, Buck," Steve said shushing him even though he didn't believe it either.

"I'm a mutant. I manipulated the robot to stop and I manipulated time and space to get here and we don't have time. I came here to save you so Steve wouldn't have to lose you," Angel told them, her eyes catching Steve's as Bucky noticed the look: the look he gave Corrine all the time…_love_. "We don't have time for this…Steve, I love you and you're not going to remember this because no one in this time can know about this," she said as she touched his face, manipulating his memories. "Bucky fell to his death," Angel explained, touching Bucky's face to make him keep his mouth shut too. "The Hydra robot got up, shot at you and the shot vibrated off of your shield and he went flying out of the car, grabbing onto the side and falling when you couldn't get to him. I'm so sorry…"

Steve turned to go and look out the door of the car before Angel grabbed onto Bucky's hand and against his will, manipulating him to stay put.

"Bucky, you just have to trust me…"

xx

Corrine stood with Howard; the two had made up since their fight earlier that week, and now were working on the next project. Corrine wasn't really doing anything 'hard'—as Howard put it, she was eye candy and an intelligent conversation for him while he worked, and Corrine didn't mind; really all she could focus on was Bucky. Bucky who had left his dog tags and his journal to her when he left, just in case he didn't make it back, but Corrine was sure he would: he had Steve, and he had the other members of Captain America's little team. Bucky was safe and she had nothing to worry about.

Steve stood outside of Howard's lab, knowing perfectly well that Corrine was in there, he could hear the radio station she loved so much playing in the background, and he could see Howard quickly moving around the room to do whatever it was he was doing. He really had no idea how he was supposed to break this sort of news to her, that the man she loved was dead…his best friend was dead. He just wished Angel was there, she would know what to do: how to go about all this, how to make him feel better. But she wasn't here right now, and Steve had to man up, he had to be there for his sister.

"Do you think that all this is going to help with the war?" Corrine asked, leaning against the table as Mr. Stark started to draw out blueprints. "What happens if we don't win?" Corrine was just rambling out her thoughts, as she normally did with Howard and he smiled rolling his eyes.

"I know for a fact this is going to help with the war," he said pointing the ruler in his hand toward her. "It was made by me after all," he said, giving her a wink as she rolled her eyes, laughing as she stood back up, both turning at the sound of the door creaking open.

"Ah, Steve," Corrine said excitedly. "How'd the mission go? Everyone make it back in one piece?" She asked, trying to look behind him for Bucky.

"Corrine," Steve's voice was a bit shaken, and he took a step closer, the door shutting behind him. Howard knew what came next, and he was sure Corrine did too by the look on her face and he felt his heart break, having to see her go through this again.

"Steven," Corrine said quietly, her hand going into her pocket for Bucky's dog tags. "Where is he?"

Steve shook his head slowly, and Corrine nodded, excepting the information he gave her. "How?" She asked, holding onto the table, doing her best to hold back her tears as Steve walked over towards her, trying to tell her that it didn't matter. "How'd he die Steve?"

Steve closed his eyes. "He…he fell," he said and she nodded slowly, knowing that they were raiding the train—had already known the dangers.

"He's not coming back this time is he?" She asked looking up at her brother, and he put his hand on hers, shaking his head slowly.

"I…I don't think so Corrine," he said, tears filling his own eyes as Corrine nodded, letting out a shaky breath as tears started to roll down her cheeks. "Come here," he whispered, and pulled her sister into his chest, where she began to sob quietly.

Howard swallowed down the lump in his throat briefly watching the siblings try and comfort each other from the loss of their friend, and knowing that this was going to take a great toll on the both of them, especially Corrine, having lost Bucky twice now.

xx

Bucky had felt the warmth that rushed through him when Angel had touched him and he was just nodding even though deep down he didn't know if he _could_ trust her. All he knew was that he had a headache and a stomachache from being dragged into his future, which was Angel's present, and she wasn't holding up so well. In fact, Angel fainted right into his arms when the journey was done and Steve's voice calling out her name made him look up. Something was different and yet it seemed to him that Angel was telling the truth and the look on Steve's face again…love.

Of course the love was mingled with happiness and surprise, but he was picking Angel's bloody body up and carrying her over to a medical table, Reed and Bruce hurrying over to her to try and fix her up. It seemed a bit touch and go at first as the looks on their faces spelled out a lot of turmoil, and that didn't make Steve feel any better. Still, Bucky was here and that made him smile a little bit because he had his best friend but if he lost the woman that he loved because of it? Where was Corrine even?

"She said she came back to save me…" Bucky said, reaching up to hold his head. "My God, my head is pounding. Is this normal for her? Traveling through time? How much of all of it was a lie? Steve…Steve, what is going on?"

Tony shook his head, called in by Steve when Angel told him of her plan. "No, you're a lucky guy—her love for Iceman over here is what made her go back and save your ass but if she dies in the process…"

"We don't have time for arguing right now," Bruce said looking at them. "Steve, get Mr. Barnes settled in and Tony? Make some calls because Reed and I need a good silent space in which to tend to her. She used her powers during a jump when we told her not to…"

"Where is Corrine?" Bucky asked out loud, having been looking around for her.

Steve just nodded at him and took him by the hand, leading him out of the room and then turning to look at him. How did you break it to someone that the person that they loved was dead? Hell, all this time Steve thought that _Bucky_ was dead and here he was in the future, which meant that Angel had used her powers on him so that she wasn't found out in the past and she'd done this…_all of it_…for _him_. Now, what if she died? She had more jumps to make, but using her powers during a jump was putting her body at even worse risk.

"STEVE!" Bucky said loudly, trying to wrap his mind around everything. "WHERE IS YOUR SISTER?!"

Tears formed in Steve's eyes. "After you died she went missing and no one could find her and then I…then…come with me and I'll explain everything, Buck. By the way…it's good to see you."

Steve knew that nothing could really fix this moment, but he pulled Bucky into a hug and in his distress, Bucky clung to his best friend, reveling in the embrace.


	4. Making a Difference

**AUTHORS' NOTE:**

**We own only our OCs and nothing else. There is an extra added sex warning on this chapter, so be warned and don't say I didn't give you the heads up, lol.  
WARNINGS: Language, Sex, Violence, Blood, Dark Themes, Angst  
ENJOY!**

xxxx

"Is she going to be alright?" Tony asked Reed hurriedly as Angel lay on the medical bed, her body finally calm and registering normal life signs.

Reed took a deep breath. "Look, I'm not going to lie to you, Tony: she's unstable. I've stabilized her as much as I can right now, but until the pure energy is taken out of her system…I don't know what to do."

"So what happens when she makes another unexpected jump? What do you suggest that we do in order to get her to stop with the jumping?" Tony asked hurriedly, feeling like he was lost. "After New York and then all of this, I don't know how much more that I can take."

Everyone was aware of how bad Tony had been faring after the Chitauri attack and after Angel touching the Tesseract and he'd been drinking more and having anxiety attacks and Joanna had been trying so hard to deal with her husband. She was always there for him, all the time, and had even recently given him news he never knew that he really wanted to hear, and right now he wanted to focus on his sister. He wanted his sister to be better just as much as Steve did, if not more so and he was helpless to lend a hand.

"I'm going to be fine," Angel said as she took a deep breath, cringing at her sore body. "Just…let's all come up with a theory. Look over my scans and tests again and see if we can't find a way to get the energy out of my system."

Tony was to her side in an instant, stroking her hair and kissing her temple. "God, V, what happened to you…I mean, really? Going against _medical_ advice?"

"I was already there, why not spice things up a bit?" Angel asked him with a weak smile. "I promise I'm going to be fine, Ed."

"Yeah, well," Tony said as he kissed her temple again, "just don't make promises that you can't keep, V."

xx

_Corrine smiled, rolling her eyes as she leaned back on her elbows, soaking up as much sun as she could on the crowded little beach. It was finally summer and Howard had given her the day off, a day she decided to spend alongside Steven, Lillian and Bucky Barnes. She'd expected Bucky to bring a date, a girl he'd been chasing after, but he showed up alone, a towel slung over his bare shoulder and only in his swimming trunks._

_Corrine tried not to stare._

_Steven was in the water with Lillian, the two playing around, Lillian getting some attention from other men who all glared at Corrine's brother when they realized the scrawny little kid was with Lillian Baxter herself, and Corrine was pleased with that._

"_You're so boring," Bucky moaned from beside her on their blanket and she sent him a look._

"_I am not boring," she defended pushing him gently when he nodded his head. "I'm not!"_

_Bucky rolled over so he was on his stomach, and pushed himself up. "Your brother is getting more action than you are, Corrine," he pointed out, smiling when she blushed. "Come on let's go do something for God's sake."_

_Corrine narrowed her eyes. "What do you suggest we do?" she asked and Bucky thought for a moment before smirking._

_Corrine didn't even have a second to register the look he sent her before he had his hands on her and pulled her up from the ground._

"_Bucky! Bucky put me down! Bucky what are you doing?!" she screamed, finding herself laughing though as he threw her over his shoulder, his hands dangerously close to her bottom and that made her face turn a bright shade of pink. "BUCKY, YOUR HANDS!" She gasped and he just laughed before running into the water and tossing her in._

_Bucky dove in after her and when Corrine popped up she spat the water from her mouth, pushing the wet strands of hair from her face as she pushed Bucky when he popped back up. "I hate you so much!" she laughed, shielding her face with her arms when he went to splash her._

"_No, you don't," Bucky laughed, his hands going to her hips and she felt herself blush from his touch, staring up at him, smiling as drops of water fell from his hair and onto her cheeks, the sun setting, and the beach empty now. "You love me," he said, leaning down towards her, the tip of his nose brushing against hers and she smiled._

"_I do love you," she agreed, moving to wrap her arms around his neck, smiling when he did. "I love you more than anything," she murmured, tilting her head up, smiling when their lips brushed briefly, her eyes closing when he moved to kiss her._

_Everything was cold then; her skin started to tingle, like when you touch dry ice or stick your tongue to a frozen pole: an experience she didn't ever want to repeat. She pulled back, her eyes widening as she stared at Bucky, the pained expression etched across his face, never changing, never faltering, and the ice started to form over his body and she pulled back quickly._

"_Bucky!" she screamed looking around, discovering they were no longer in the ocean, but in the middle of a snowy terrain, the sound of a train coming from in the distance. "Bucky! Bucky open your eyes!" she screamed, going back to try and get the ice off of him, but it continued to grow on him, moving up his body, spreading everywhere until he was completely covered in frost. She grabbed onto him, crying out when he crumbled in her hand like ash, his entire body falling now, nothing left but a pile of snow._

"Corrine! Corrine," Steven called out to his sister, his arms wrapping around her waist as he pulled her to his chest, her gasping for air as she shot up, looking frightened, her hair damp with sweat.

"Bucky, he…" Corrine trailed off, biting her bottom lip as she looked up at Steve before shaking her head slowly, wiping at her eyes.

"Another nightmare?" Steve whispered, brushing her hair from her face as she nodded. "Corrine…it…it'll get better," he said quietly, clasping her hand in his and bringing it up to his lips. "You just need more sleep, sissy," he said and she smiled sadly when he called her 'sissy', something he hadn't done since they were very young.

She reached up to cup her brother's face in her hand. "I'm sorry, Steven," she murmured, sniffling as she ran her thumb along his cheek. "Stop worrying about me," she said with a firm nod as she sighed and pulled away some. "I'll be fine."

Steve stared for a moment, nodding slowly before standing up from his spot on her bed, and let her get up. "Howard wants to see you," he said, watching as she stood up and wrapped her robe around her waist a little bit tighter, nodding. "Something about…plans for the future."

Corrine turned to him, kinking her eyebrow. "Whose future?" she asked and he shrugged, really not sure what Howard meant when he asked him to get his sister. "Well…go find him and tell him I'll be there momentarily, I just need to freshen up."

Steve nodded, standing there as he watched his sister carefully as she moved to go change behind her changing screen, sighing to himself. Since Bucky's death she'd been very closed off: towards Howard, towards Lilly and even towards him. His sister used to always carry this spark about her, but it seemed like since Bucky's death it had gone out….and he desperately wished he could get it back—to ease her pain—but he had no idea what to do. He didn't know how he was supposed to help her, or if he could even help her.

xx

While Angel was in a very touch and go process with Reed and Bruce who were trying to stabilize her for the time being, Steve had been explaining everything piece by piece to Bucky, who was astonished. At first it all seemed far too unbelievable, but then as Steve started to show him more and explain more about it, it all started to actually make sense. It made sense as to why Angel's presence in their lives had always been so sporadic at best, and it made sense because of the super soldier serum and all of the Hydra nonsense that had happened to them. What hurt him most was that Corrine wasn't there.

Here in the future, Corrine would have been an old lady that had been destroyed by his death, but Bucky was pretty positive she would have moved on without him. He had promised her a future with marriage and kids and he had certainly thought he was going to cash in on that, but he had 'died' and while this time travel didn't make much sense to him, he knew he owed Angel his life. That didn't mean that Corrine getting kidnapped was something that was just supposed to be let go of—not at all.

"So, Angel can time travel…" Bucky said slowly, looking at the information in his hands. "She can change the future?"

Steve shook his head. "Everything is linear…as in it has all already happened."

"Yeah, but I died," Bucky told him shrugging. "She changed that, because here I am in the flesh."

"I don't fully understand it all," Steve admitted shaking his head.

"Neither do I, but if she can change it, she can bring Corrine here," Bucky told Steve with a nod. "She can go to her, save her, and bring her back."

Steve took a deep breath. "Buck, she can't choose where she jumps, she just jumps. Her body is unstable and you saw her—this is the worst that it has ever been _because_ she used her powers when she was in the past. Asking her to make a purposeful jump in her condition is just…"

Bucky looked at his best friend, understanding that he was torn because he was in love with the mutant that was Tony Stark's half sister, but at the same time Bucky was getting a little upset. This was _Corrine_. The love of his life _and_ Steve's older sister. This wasn't just some random girl that Bucky was asking Steve to make a sacrifice for, even if part of him knew deep down that it was too much to ask. That part of him wasn't even registering in his thought process and he stood up as Angel made it slowly to the door, stable for now, but weak and sore.

"SHE'S YOUR SISTER!" Bucky threw at him.

Steve stood up too. "I KNOW THAT!" he paused a moment and then took a deep breath. "Buck, I lost _both_ of you. You fell off the train and Corrine was kidnapped and no one ever found her and then I crashed into the polar ice caps and I was thawed out and all I had was Angel. She's been here for me since I woke up 70 years in the future! She's my rock! _She_ is my future! She did all of this for me and if she dies in the process, I won't…" Steve paused, Bucky feeling a little guilty because it seemed like Steve might be having a panic attack. "I can't ask her to do it."

"You don't have to ask," Angel said from the door, entering the room slowly and taking a shaky breath as Bucky and Steve looked at her. "I'm doing it, so the decision is already made. She's Corrine."

Steve's words had touched her and she knew that he was torn because Corrine and Angel meant more to him than anyone else in the world besides Bucky. Angel was now here telling him that she was willing to risk her life for his sister and he wanted to argue with her, but she was stubborn and her mind was made up and Steve crossed to her, taking her hands in his and kissing them. She looked stable enough, but she was pale and she looked like she was tired and he couldn't blame her—her jumps were getting closer and closer together and he was worried…he was worried that she really was dying. Angel was going to make this jump and use all the rest of her energy and she was going to die and he couldn't stop it and it was killing him.

"You don't have to do this to prove anything to me, you know," Steve said, feeling as though it had to be said. "I want my sister back, but I also don't want you to die."

Angel smiled and cupped his face. "I promised you that everything would be fine and everything will be fine. I've been looking into the account of her kidnapping and I think that I can jump to it."

"Steve said you can't choose when you travel," Bucky told her slowly.

"I can't when I'm pulled in because of my pure energy infection, but if _I_ initiate it, then maybe I can stave the energy off long enough to not be as unstable when I come back," Angel proposed, looking between Steve's worried face and Bucky's hopeful one. "I'm going to bring her back. For all of us."

Steve nodded, taking her face in his hands and kissing her suddenly, Angel practically melting right into him, wrapping her arms around him as he held her close. He was afraid that he was going to lose her and that this was all that there would be left, but she was determined to get through this no matter what. She was certain that if she got the ball rolling before the pure energy activated and forced her into anything, she could even use her powers with minimal fatigue. Bucky smiled at them, nodding, understanding and also feeling pretty lonely without Corrine there to be with.

"If you don't make it back…" Steve warned sadly, looking Angel in the eye.

Angel smiled and ran her nose along his. "You can bring me back and kill me yourself."

"Not funny," Steve warned, but he kissed her gently again.

"I dunno," Bucky said aloud, chuckling when Steve and Angel both looked at him, "it was a little funny."

xx

Corrine sat at Howard's desk, her ankles crossed and her chin resting against her knuckles as she watched him hurry around the office collecting paper work. It seemed he'd just typed it up and he set it down in front of her with purpose.

"What is all of this?" she asked, moving her hand to pull the papers a bit closer, squinting her eyes as she skimmed over the words.

"I need you to sign here," Howard pointed down to the paper, handing her the pen, "here, here and here." He said, leaning against the table beside her smiling a bit. "I want you to be my partner," he explained, Corrine looking up at him now. "You're practically running the business so…I want you to have joint ownership of all of my stocks, 60/40." He told her and Corrine's jaw dropped as she looked up at him again. "I will not take 'no' for an answer either—you and Steve will be set for life after you sign this slip of paper," he said and tapped the desk, motioning for her to sign.

"Howard," Corrine breathed out as she bit her lip, "Howard, this is _your_ business. This is _your_ baby," she said shaking her head. "I can't."

Howard smiled shaking his head as he reached over and placed his hand over hers, squeezing gently. "This is _our_ baby, Corrine," he said. "Without you I would have crashed and burned by now," he smiled, pulling his hand back. "Plus, if I did any time soon I'll be leaving my company in capable hands and not some…sickly cousin of mine, smart as she is," he said with a shrug.

Corrine laughed shaking her head, began to sign the papers, but before she was able to finish her signature an explosion from outside caused the room to shake and things fell from the shelves, her pen flying to the right, causing a line to splatter across the paper.

"What in the Hell is happening?" Howard shouted out, going to help Corrine stand up, his arms wrapping around her protectively.

Her hands tightened on Howard's shirt when she heard gun shots from outside the room and she looked up at him, absolutely terrified.

"Howard," she panicked and he shushed her, hurrying over to his desk and he pulled the pistol from his top drawer, reaching over to take her hand and pulled her behind him, pointing the gun at the door as the handle turned.

"Guys," Howard sighed in relief when the door flew open, Lillian standing outside of it, soot covering her arms and face.

"We're under attack, we gotta get out of here," Lillian said, breathing heavily and Howard pushed Corrine towards Lillian, moving to stand in front of the girls as they hurried out of the room, Corrine's eyes widening as she saw the dead bodies of the enemy and allied soldiers scattered across the ground.

"We need to get to my plane," Howard said quickly and Corrine nodded in agreement.

"We need to find Steve," she said and Lillian shushed her, trying to calm her down some as they followed quickly after Howard, keeping low to stay out of the line of fire.

Angel had been prepared for this jump because she was making it on her own, and when she got to the past she didn't even bleed from her nose right away, which she was taking as a good sign. She moved through the commotion and the fighting, trying to stop her heart from pounding so much, but then she thought about her father and the accounts of all of this and it happened—blood trickled from her nose. She ignored it and moved through the people, on a mission she needed to complete before she was too drained to use the powers that she needed.

Corrine gasped when a gun went off, Howard falling back into her arms, knocking her to the ground. "Oh, God! Howard, Howard," she sobbed, her hand going to his shoulder where he was shot, quickly pulling at his shirt, almost breaking right then and there as blood poured out of the bullet hole.

"I think talking about my death caused some sort of bad karma," Howard laughed nervously. "You set this up, didn't you? Your way of taking full control over the business," he teased and Corrine smiled despite her tears, leaning down to press her lips to his forehead.

"You're an idiot," she said, turning to look up at Lillian who had shot the man who shot Howard. "We need to get him out of here," she told her friend, who went to go help her get Howard up before being hit in the back of the head by the blunt end of a gun, and Corrine screamed.

"You, we've been looking for you," the soldier spat out and Corrine looked up at him, Howard trying to get up, screaming at the man to leave her alone before the soldier kicked him in the side and picked Corrine up by the hair, her kicking and screaming as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"LET GO OF ME! LET GO!" she cried, trying to squirm out of his hold as he dragged her away from Howard who lay in the mud, his eyes slowly closing.

The shots and the cries had alerted Angel to the position and one look at her father made her go pale with fear. He couldn't die because she and Tony were proof that he lived, but at the same time…what if that was because of her? Time was linear, right? So him lying here bleeding out meant that she had to save him and so she knelt down beside him as the soldier pulled Corrine away and she touched him, his eyes opening.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Daddy," Angel said, but the tears were coming. "It won't all make sense at first, but I'll give you the memories that you need."

Howard was confused, but he could feel the warmth as Angel healed his gunshot, Howard gasping for air, but weak even though he was healed. He looked at her and opened up his mouth to speak, but Angel shushed him and kissed his temple, hugging him before she stood up.

"I have to find Corrine, but don't worry…she's going to be okay. Her, Bucky, Steve. You can't tell anyone, but know that they'll be fine," Angel told him, touching his face to give him the memories she promised him, disabling the failsafe early. "Give them all the funerals they deserve, but they'll get to live on, I promise you that. Now run, and don't look back," she said before she was off just like that, looking for Corrine because that was another promise she had to keep.

"Stop fighting it, girl," the man's accent was obviously German, and she screamed out in pain when he threw her against the side of a truck, her slipping and falling into the mud.

"What do you want?" she yelled at him, trying to move back to her feet when he pulled a gun on her, cocking it.

"Hydra could use you," he said and pulled a radio from his side. "We've got the girl, Stark's dead."

Corrine swallowed down the lump in her throat as she stayed where she was, looking around, trying to figure out how she was going to get out of this when she noticed Angel slowly making her way over to them. She was on a mission and Corrine felt a little better, but at the same time that was just one more person in trouble.

"Knock her out, bring her back to base…she's all we need," a voice from the radio answered back, and the man smirked, reaching down to grab Corrine by her hair again when Lillian screamed, catching his attention and punched him in the face.

Corrine's eyes widened as the man fell to the ground, just from that one hit from Lillian, completely unconscious. "You…how did you do that?" Corrine asked as Lillian helped her up, going back to get Howard.

"Uh, well…I don't know," Lillian said quickly, the two spotting Angel running towards them, Corrine grinning before a gunshot was heard, and she felt herself get dragged to the ground.

"Lilly?" Corrine turned her friend, her eyes widening as she saw her cough up some blood. "Oh, God no! Lilly no, please no, no, no," she cried out, her hand going to her friend's face, Angel coming to her side.

Angel moved for just a moment to disable the man with the gun with some fancy leg work and a touch of her hand, returning to Corrine and Lilly and nodding. Her mind was made up just like that to take Lilly with her too, and so she touched the two, focusing even with all of the havoc around them. Corrine wasn't entirely sure what happened, all she knew was Angel started to talk like a mad woman. It felt like her stomach was being turned inside out, and her head was throbbing, but the air was no longer full of gunshots and now Lilly's blood spilled out across a metal floor.

"What…where are we?" Corrine asked quickly as she looked around, her hand going to her forehead.

"We have to get Lilly some help, Corrine, I'm not…I can only do so much," Angel explained because she was starting to feel a bit queasy and her nose was threatening to bleed as she reached out to touch Lilly to try and take the pain away from her. "I'll explain everything, I promise."

Corrine nodded slowly, looking back at Lilly who started to laugh. "Corriney," she laughed, blood spilling from her mouth as she reached her hand out, Corrine taking it in hers. "Corrine, there's something I've never told you about me," she said squeezing Corrine's hand as Angel looked at her curiously, her eyes going to where the stomach wound had been but now it seemed …better.

"What?" Corrine asked sadly, and Lilly let out a gasp of pain as her body convulsed, Corrine holding her hand tighter. "Lilly, don't talk, just rest—Angel's going to go get help," she said and Angel shook her head slowly, watching the wound as it started to heal itself without her helping it to.

"I don't need help," Lilly explained. "I just need some…water and maybe a nice dress," she suggested, Corrine looking at her confused and Angel grinning.

"You're a mutant, which makes this so much easier to explain to _you_ at least," Angel said, Lillian laughing while Corrine looked at them both, rather confused.

"I prefer the term immortal, but sure, mutant," she said with a shake of her head, still feeling weak from the healing process as she sat up slowly looking at Angel, "and so are you."

Angel smiled a little bit. "Well, healing doesn't mean you won't age, but sure."

Corrine fell back onto her bottom, looking to Lillian and Angel as they laughed, sharing some sort of unspoken connection she didn't understand at all. "What…you were shot," Corrine said. "Your blood is still all over you! All over me!" she cried out and Lillian turned to look at her sighing.

"Angel will explain everything," she said turning to look at Angel who frowned.

While she knew that it was her place to do such a thing, she wasn't quite sure where to begin and she had to pause a moment and think before she decided on the 'right' thing to say. Right now, Angel had to reassure Corrine…well…at least let her know what was going on and that meant using some of her powers to show her, and bringing up some research. Lillian was there also, so that had to help, and Angel knew that here in her present, where her body wasn't fighting the time difference, she was more in the clear because her body wasn't so over exerted…she wasn't in the clear on that yet though.

"First off, I'm not Howard's cousin…I'm his daughter," Angel explained as she shrugged gently. "After Bucky died and you were kidnapped and Steven killed himself to save everyone else, defeating Hydra in the process, he went on to thrive in his company, meet Maria, and then he had Tony, my older brother. I came along later and it turned out that I was a mutant—I have the power of manipulation, like…" Angel trailed off before she grabbed a letter opener, stabbing it into her hand and then holding up her hand to silence the two as they gasped at her, placing her fingertip to the wound and manipulating her body into healing. "I can heal, I can manipulate memories and people and even objects. Like this is solid, right?" Angel reached over and touched a cup on the table. "One tweak to its molecular structure and it's…liquid," she said as the cup suddenly melted and then she put it back the way that it was. "I found out that I could also manipulate time and space and after Steve woke up here in the future 70 years later—yes, Steve is alive and well—I realized I really wanted to tap into that potential. Unfortunately a war happened and I ended up touching a pure energy source and it changed _my_ molecular structure. That's how I ended up randomly time traveling…it's why my nose bled so much. All the over exertion basically put my body into panic mode, but it also gave me the ability to go back in time and save you—my father is also safe, by the way. I healed him before I made it to you and Lilly. It's a lot to take in and this is a really new place but…I couldn't let Steve be alone and after meeting you, I couldn't be without you either, Corrine."

Corrine stared at her, trying to understand everything she was saying, but she wasn't sure she could. Mutants? Time Traveling? It was all crazy, something that belonged in a book, but here she was, there Lillian was: she was completely healed. Corrine swallowed down the lump in her throat, nodding slowly. "This is insane," she whispered with a shake of her head.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Angel told her gently, "but you don't have to make up your mind right away. Bruce and Reed need to check us all out and then once the tests are all run…I'll have Steve come right for you."

xx

While Bucky was having his tests run, Angel was able to get by with just a scan because she felt good and there was minimal pure energy activity happening. At the same time, she had a feeling that this was just the calm before the storm and she knew that Steve was having a tough time and she was back and she was fine and he was to her in an instant. They were in an Avengers base, Steve sparring because it kept his mind off of things, Angel laughing a little into the kiss, moaning gently when it was Steve's turn to nip at her lips.

"She's safe and sound, they're just running tests and then you can see her," Angel told him when he pulled back stroking her hair. "You really thought I was going to die, didn't you?"

Steve cupped her face. "Yeah, and I couldn't lose you like I lost them, Angel, I couldn't. Now you've brought them back to me, and I just…I don't deserve you."

Angel shushed him and kissed him again, Steve letting her hands roam until they made it to the bottom of his tight t-shirt and she paused, but his teasing of her mouth made her push it up a little. It was so different from all the other times when Steve had thought it was too soon—they'd known each other for a year and there was a bond between them that neither of them could really deny…this was happening. He smiled down at her and then took off his t-shirt, Angel nodding and taking off her blouse, wrapping her arms around Steve's neck and smiling into the kiss he planted there. There was a fair amount of passion, but there was love mixed in with the lust and he laid her down on the padded floor of the boxing ring, letting his fingers trail along her skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake.

"I don't…" Steve began, but he was blushing as he let his lips trail along her neck and her sternum.

Angel nodded as her fingers slipped into his hair. "Me neither…"

Steve nodded as he placed kisses to her skin, climbing on top of her, settling in between her legs and moaning gently as she rocked up against him to try and satisfy her own urges. All he knew about this was the stories that Bucky had told him about his own conquests that Steve didn't always want to hear and all Angel knew, was what Andy and Tony had told her and so they were half prepared. The rest of it they were going to have to figure out together, but they knew they could rise to that occasion.

So they helped each other out of the rest of their clothes, Angel's phone going off at one point, but she ignored it, she and Steve placing kisses along each other's bodies before they were once again in position. Steve was on top of her between her legs, kissing her passionately as she arched up against him a little bit, only making them both want this more. Angel smiled gently as Steve's forehead rested on hers, feeling his tip at her entrance and running her hands up his strong arms to hold his shoulders.

"Are you sure?" Steve asked her, worried about hurting her.

Angel nodded, looking into his beautiful blue eyes. "I'm sure."

"You're just anticipating it—you should relax," Steve replied, kissing her tenderly.

"I'm alright," Angel said, though she was thinking a lot about the initial merge. "Just go slow…"

Nodding again, Steve pushed in a little, stopping as she opened up her mouth to gasp gently, Angel whispering for him to keep going. When he pushed in more, she whimpered and her nails dug into his shoulders, Steve knowing that she was in pain, so he stopped again and kissed her, Angel welcoming his lips on hers and then arching up a little more, which Steve took as an invitation to push all the way in, Angel whimpering a little louder that time, but she kissed him. They just lay there a moment as she adjusted, but she gave him the sign that he could move and while at first they weren't sure what they were doing, they got a rhythm down.

The last thing that Steve had wanted to do was hurt her, but Angel was determined for this to happen and they had just reached a new level of intimacy. He was the first man to see her naked and vulnerable like this and vice versa, Steve feeling the pleasure building up inside of him as he held her close, his member moving back and forth, surrounded by her heat. Her name was on his lips when he toppled over the edge, his on hers shortly after, though she knew this would certainly get better with practice and be less painful for her.

He held her close and kissed her tenderly, Angel smiling and kissing him back, glad they'd done this and also wondering how many times they'd have to do this again, before they got to a point where it wasn't as awkward. It definitely wasn't the glamour that society made it out to be, but it was perfect because it was Steve and they were so much more bonded now. Nothing could ruin this…not a thing.

"Your phone is ringing again," Steve chuckled, trying to piece together his thoughts.

'_Okay, maybe that,_' Angel thought as she reached over and looked at the cover: Reed Richards.

"Who is it?" Steve asked her.

"It's Reed—I have a feeling that he's calling us in because of test results," Angel responded with a gentle laugh. "I want to lay here with you for a little bit longer first though…catch my breath…figure out what I'm going to do now."

Angel smiled as she stroked Steve's peck, nuzzling it with her nose before she gently placed a kiss to it, Steve shivering pleasantly and smiling, stroking her hair. There was nothing quite like post coital bliss and after everything that Angel had done for him Steve knew that she was the right choice every time. He kissed her head and smiled at her, Angel looking up at him and making eye contact, smiling too.

"Tell me that wasn't just because Bucky and Corrine are here now too…" Angel teased, only half serious and Steve chuckled and shook his head, kissing her tenderly.

"That was because I love you," Steve informed her softly. "You are an incredible woman though—you've done a lot for me."

Angel smiled and stroked his skin. "I'd do _anything_ for you, Steve, and I mean that. I was even _incredibly_ attracted to the scrawny you."

"I'm enjoying being taller than you," Steve chuckled as he nodded and looked her in the eye again. "I know that you love me either way, but I'm not going back…ever. I finally feel good and healthy—_right_, in my own skin. You've seen my file. You know all about all of the medical conditions that I had. I didn't really have a place in the army when I couldn't completely hold my own but this? It isn't about being good looking,"

"Which you are," Angel put in, grinning when Steve smirked.

"It's about being able to make the difference that I always wanted to make—I'm _healthy_ now. No asthma, no chest pains, no leg cramps, no easily broken bones…I _enjoy_ being like this."

Angel nodded and kissed his chin. "I enjoy taking advantage of you while you're like this…"

Steve closed his eyes and chuckled at the tone in her voice, groaning as she kissed and nipped at his jaw, climbing on top of him and tucking her hair behind her ears as she straddled his body. They both knew they were going to get up—any S.H.I.E.L.D. agent could just waltz right in on them, but Steve oddly found that he was alright with that. Angel too, though Angel was a lot more like her brother than she cared to admit and this hadn't been planned, it had just happened…maybe deep down, Angel felt like it needed to happen before she potentially died.

"What are you going to say to your sister?" Angel asked him slowly, moving to grab their clothes as her phone went off for the third time.

Steve took a deep breath and sat up. "First, I want her to know that Bucky is safe."

xx

Steve was the first one to get to see Bucky, but they let Angel in as well, Bucky's eyes lighting up when he saw her, knowing she was safe. The smile that she sported when she smiled back at him let her know that she was triumphant and he ran over to her, picking her up and spinning her around, which made her laugh. Steve chuckled too, glad that Bucky was happy and told him exactly what he wanted to hear: Corrine was safe and sound and here in the present with them.

"There is one other thing, though," Angel said as she chewed on her lip, Bucky setting her down and Steve glancing at her. "I used extra energy to bring Lilly here too…I couldn't leave her there to bleed out all over the place!"

Taking a deep breath Steve looked here in the eye. "You should have told me that earlier."

"We were a little busy," Angel responded with a shrug, Steve's face flushing.

"What have you two been…OHHHHHH!" Bucky exclaimed and then he grinned. "Steven, you sly dog, I didn't think you had it in you. Well I guess maybe not in _you_…"

"Great, now look what you've done," Steve told Angel, but they all knew he wasn't seriously upset or anything.

Angel burst out laughing even though she was red in the face as well. "Yeah, okay, I take back everything I've ever said about you behind your back, Buck—you're actually funny."

Bucky smiled at her and then let her explain to him that Corrine was still adjusting a bit and that Lilly was a mutant and that as soon as the tests were done being run for them, they would be allowed to go out and about. Steve told Bucky not to blame himself for the fact that Hydra had wanted her, but Bucky couldn't help but remember them finding her picture and it made him cringe. Then Angel pointed out that Corrine had not technically lost him _twice_, and Bucky was feeling just a little down on himself.

"I need to make this up to her," Bucky explained shaking his head. "I mean, she's thought I was dead twice now…_twice_."

Angel nodded slowly and then her eyes lit up. "I think I know what we can do, actually, but you two have to be willing to come with me to the Stark Mansion."

"You know I'd do anything you asked," Steve said, nudging Bucky when Bucky wiggled his eyebrows and laughed at the statement. "Buck…"

Laughing and waving it off, Angel took them both to the mansion, it not belonging to Tony, but Jarvis let Angel in without another though and Angel went straight up to the attic. It was hard for her and she felt a little like she was going to throw up, but this was important and it had to be done and she pushed on. She was Angela Veronica Stark, and she was going to finally do this if it killed her.

"When my parents died—not, my birth Mom, she died in childbirth with me—Dad's will said that everything in this attic, was for me and Tony to look over and remember," Angel explained as she opened up the attic door and the boys followed her in, looking around in amazement at all of the things. "Tony and I, however, never really wanted to. Dad was distant and even though we looked through some of Mom's old things, it was too hard and he had the company to focus on and I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and we just…over here."

Angel moved over to where a few of the boxes were marked 'Corrine' and she went for the one on top, opening it up. On the top was a letter addressed to Angel and she knew that she would have to bring Corrine up here again, but she opened up the letter and it read:

_My dearest daughter.  
If you're reading this, then that means that you've saved Corrine.  
In here are a few items that she might want to have back.  
I'm proud of you, baby girl.  
You are everything a father hopes his daughter will become and more.  
The other boxes are all for Corrine, so show them to her.  
I love you.  
Your father_

Angel felt the tears well up in her eyes because it wouldn't have hurt him to say such things more often, but she knew now that he knew she'd still make it. She became the remarkable young woman that he had always known she would, and so she smiled a little and pulled out the journal, Bucky's eyes twinkling. He knew what that was and suddenly it all became clear to him just how this all needed to play out.

"Angel?" Steve asked her, Angel standing up and closing the box up so she could bring Corrine to them later. "These have the name 'Elisabeth' on them."

Feeling her heart suddenly thud in her chest, Angel took a deep breath. "Elisabeth Veronica Jenkins."

"Veronica is a silly middle name," Bucky mused out loud without thinking first.

"Veronica is Angel's middle name," Steve told him and Bucky quickly apologized, it all making sense now.

"My biological mother," Angel said before she turned to leave the attic.

Steve said her name and she turned to look at him. "Baby, are you sure you don't want to—"

"—right now this is all about Corrine," Angel responded quickly, glancing at the boxes and then trying to give Steve a strong smile. "That's not a part of my past I want to revisit."

"Not even, 'Angela Veronica Stark: WWII'?" Bucky asked her.

Angel shook her head and hurried out of the attic, Bucky and Steve sharing a glance before they decided to focus on Corrine just like Angel was.

xx

Corrine sat in the white room she'd been placed in after the doctors had done all their tests on her, making sure there was no damage to her from the 'time jump' that she, Lillian and Angel had undergone, and as far as they told her she was healthy. She was still _so_ confused. She had been at the camp, the Nazi's had stormed in, Howard was shot trying to protect her and Lillian, Steve was somewhere protecting them all...and Bucky, Bucky had been dead for days.

But she was alive; she was alive and in the future. But Bucky was dead. The life they'd planned together was never going to happen: they were never going to have kids, or die old together. No, Corrine was going to die in this strange new world where people talked to tiny glowing boxes, and wore clothes that would have given her mother a heart attack.

She took in a shaky breath, wiping at her eyes, wishing so much that she still had Bucky's journal. It had been keeping her strong since his death, but now it was lost in the camp; God only knew what happened to it in 70 plus years into the future.

Angel had spoken to her about finding it, knowing that all WWII items found were always kept, but Corrine wasn't about to get her hopes up too high. She just wanted to see her baby brother, but she wasn't allowed any visits yet and Lillian was going through more tests since they told her she was a 'mutant' and could be useful? Lillian was a pin-up model, one of Stark's top girls...and now she was a badass mutant that couldn't get killed apparently.

This new world was so strange to Corrine.

There was a knock at the door and Corrine stood up quickly moving over to the dresser at the far side of the room and plucked a tissue from the tissue box there, wiping at her eyes and nose. "Come in," she said with a shaky voice, watching as Angel walked in looking like death and Corrine frowned.

"I've got something for you," she said smiling a bit, holding out Bucky's journal and Corrine put her hand over her mouth, nodding in thanks as she squeezed her eyes shut to stop her tears. "It was in a box in the attic of Stark Mansion so…any time you're ready, you and I can go back and look through everything and I'll be right there by you the whole time, I promise."

"Thank you," Corrine said taking it from her gingerly, running her fingers along Bucky's full name branded into the leather. "This…just…thank you," she said again, sighing as she flipped it open, laughing sadly at her racy picture she'd given him and glancing over at the words she'd written for him.

"No matter how far, drunk, or mad we are," Corrine read her words quietly to herself and Angel.

"Day by day I'll be missing you," Corrine looked up at the familiar voice her eyes widening, "and day by day, I'll be in love to stay."

Her jaw dropped just as the book did from her hands, Angel taking a step away just so that Corrine had a better view of him. Of Bucky. He stood there, in the same uniform he'd been in the day he died, and he gave her that lopsided smile, his blue eyes gleaming.

"Hey Corriney," he said and she just shook her head, unable to move as he crossed the floor, and wrapped his arms around her waist, and she instinctively wrapped hers around his neck, her eyes still wide from shock as he held her tightly, picking her up from the floor easily.

"You're dead," Corrine said now, her voice raw and broken as Bucky shook his head, squeezing her tighter. "You were dead, you died, you fell—you aren't supposed to be here...Bucky you died," she said now, pulling away, forcing him to drop her back to her feet as she glared up at him.

"Corrine—"

"No, No! Bucky you died!" She cried out, sobbing some as she looked up at him. "You promised me you wouldn't die," her bottom lip quivered and Bucky felt the tears springing to his eyes at the sight of her. "You promised me you wouldn't leave me James."

Bucky frowned nodding as he moved closer to, grabbing her wrists when she went to push him away. "I know; I know what I promised Corrine," he said, holding her hands in his. "I'm sorry Corrine," he said and she closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry...but I'm here now," he said moving her hands to his face, showing her he was real, that he was there, making her look back up at him. "I'm here with you, and I love you Corrine," his voice broke, and she sobbed. "I love you so much," he whispered, pulling her back to him when she started to sob, and Angel turned away, wiping at her own eyes as she slowly backed out of the room, hearing Corrine whisper her 'I love yous' to Bucky over and over again.

While it was touching to see Bucky and Corrine reunited, Angel was starting to feel lightheaded as she thought about everything, reaching up to her nose when it started to bleed. This kind of thing wasn't supposed to happen in her present and she was glad they were still on the base because Reed and Bruce were here to help her with things. It hurt though, because suddenly the pain in her head was back and when Steve walked into the room, Angel's nose started to bleed more.

"Angel!" he said as he rushed to her side.

Angel took a breath. "I think I might jump, but this is different…this is…painful…I don't think—"

Suddenly she let out a blood curdling scream, Steve hurrying to scoop her up in his arms, her hands on her head as he took her to Reed. They got her on the table and Bruce came as quickly as he heard, both of them sending Steve out of the room so that they could work. The energy was burning her from the inside out according to her vitals read out and as Steve went to go and let Bucky and Corrine know, Angel made an unexpected jump…right in the middle of the procedure…


	5. Safe Returns

**AUTHORS' NOTE:**

**We own only Angel and Corrine and the ideas for the story, but we don't own any of the Marvel characters. Also, we think you'll enjoy this chapter as much as we enjoyed writing it and look forward to some cuteness and angst soon, guys! Also, Andy is mentioned in here and she will be added to the mix soon because she and Thor are priceless.  
WARNINGS: Language, Sex, Violence, Blood, Dark Themes, Angst  
ENJOY!**

xxxx

Angel was in a lot of pain when her jump landed her where she wanted to be, and she couldn't figure out if this was actually a jump to someone or not until she saw the planes. They all had cities on them and she knew where she was: this was where it ended for Steve. Not in the sense that he died, but this was where he crashed the plane and then he was encased in ice for 70 years, thawed out, and then he woke up with her there and all of this really began.

The Tesseract was also here.

She didn't have the power to bring it back with her and she knew that she didn't get to do that anyway, but it was worth taking a peek at—maybe she could even help Steve. He was Captain America and he could get through this fight without her, but something suddenly clicked with the brunette as she made her way to the cock pit: pure energy. It all started with the Tesseract, and maybe it had to _end_ with the Tesseract.

"You don't give up, do you?" Schmidt asked Steve, shooting at him with a Hydra weapon.

Steve looked at him. "Nope,"

With that he lunged, trying to avenge Corrine and Bucky all in one fight, Angel sneaking in and touching the Tesseract, Schmidt making it to the Tesseract too, Angel having already pulled it out of where it was powering the plane. She screamed when she touched it, Schmidt confused, but he knocked her out of the way and she just lay there on the ground, eyes screwed shut as she suddenly felt a tingling sensation rip throughout her whole body. Luckily for Steve, who was about to lunge for revenge because Schmidt had struck Angel, the Tesseract killed Schmidt right then and there, burning him, but unluckily for Steve, the Tesseract burned a hole in the ship and fell away…and now he was stuck.

"Angel!" Steve cried and went to touch her, but she moved away from him with the strength she had in her.

She shook her head. "It's a long and complicated story, but please don't touch me. My body is trying to fight off the infection. You need to check the ship."

"Why didn't it hurt you too—?"

"—you _need _to check the ship!"

Hurrying to the helm, Steve sat down and realized that the plane was heading right toward New York and there was only one thing to do: put her in the water. He wanted answers from Angel and he wanted to save her, but something told him that she knew all about this and he _had_ been wondering about _how_ she was always places…_where_ she went. Right now, though, it was about talking to an authority and so his personal life had to wait—he had to do his duty.

"Is there a way to get Howard on the line?" Steve asked on the channel with command.

Howard smiled a bit. "I'm here, Cap."

Steve nodded and put his hands on the controls. "This is the only way to save New York…promise me that you'll find Corrine, Howard."

"I promise," Howard said, feeling a tightening in his chest, knowing deep down that everything was going to be alright.

He closed the channel and looked at the icy water, Angel coming to him, feeling oddly better even though she felt a little off. She took a deep breath and touched Steve's face, Steve closing his eyes as he angled the plane toward the ice caps, nuzzling her hand and planting a kiss to her palm. Answers could wait.

"I will explain all of this to you when we get out of this," Angel explained, shaking her head when Steve looked at her. "You're going down a hero and everything will be alright in the end…this is God's will."

The tingling sensation, Steve could get used to, but he certainly wasn't going to know that anytime soon.

xx

Corrine chewed on her bottom lip as she watched her brother pace the floor of the room she'd been given. "Steven I'm sure she's fine," she tried, raising an eyebrow when he sent a glare her way. "This is Angel we're talking about. She…she has literally jumped through time and space just to make you happy…so, I'm sure wherever she is right now…I…I am sure she is perfectly fine."

Steve closed his eyes, pressing his palms against his eyes taking in a breath. "You don't know that," he said shaking his head, turning to look at his sister as she stood up. "You don't know that Corrine. She, she could be stuck somewhere in the past, she could be alone, she could be _dying_."

Corrine frowned nodding as she moved over to her brother's side, taking his face in her hands. "Steven, listen to me," she said, making him look down at her. "Angel is going to be just fine Steve, she's going to be back soon, and she's going to be just fine…I promise you." Corrine wasn't really sure what made her feel that way, but she just knew there was no way Angel would die that easily, it just wasn't very…Angel of her.

"I can't lose her 'Rinnie," Steve said sadly, his eyes tearing up and Corrine nodded, shushing him as she stood on her tip toes, and wrapped her arms around his neck, stroking the back of his neck as he let out a shaky breath, shushing him gently.

"You won't Steve," she whispered, his arms wrapping around his sister's waist. "She loves you…she's not going to give up."

xx

Landing back in her own time made Angel drop to her knees, panting as she let her brain register what had happened and feeling her body healing itself just because she was thinking about it. That made her smile, hoping that the worst was over because she already felt less sore and the tingling sensation was going away and she almost felt like color was returning to her. Ever since touching the Tesseract, Angel had known that something was off, but now she was feeling almost centered again and it made her grin.

"What are you doing in here, Angel?" Coulson asked her and it was only then that Angel's head snapped up and she looked around to try and see where she was…armory.

Angel stood up. "It's strange, because I don't remember trying to come here…this is the present, isn't it?"

"You mean, are you missing because you made a time jump in the middle of a medical procedure to save your life? Then, yes…" Coulson said with a smile on his face.

"Good, that's good," Angel told him nodding, moving to hug him, holding him close. "I feel so much better now, Cheese. How about you and I go find Reed and Bruce and get some tests run on me?"

"Aren't the Rogers' and Mr. Barnes going to be worried about you? Mr. Stark has been running all over the place wreaking havoc," Coulson explained, and he smirked when Angel laughed.

Angel rested her hand on Coulson's shoulder. "When _doesn't_ Tony wreak havoc?"

Coulson had to agree with her on that one and so he took her to Reed and Bruce, who hooked her up to a couple of machines and started to run diagnostic tests on her. Physically she looked better and even mentally it seemed that she was healthy again, her inner organs repaired and she could use her powers without dangerous pure energy spikes on the grid…she seemed…_fixed_. Reed was astonished and immediately wanted to know what had happened, Angel shrugging.

"I ended up on the plane, before Steve crashed it and while I altered his memories of me being there, I touched the Tesseract again. Whatever it did to me…it reversed it, I think…or maybe it completed me, I don't know. All I know," Angel said with a smile, "is that I'm feeling really great. In fact I feel better than I did before Loki showed up, if you can believe it. The Tesseract didn't do to me what it did to Schmidt."

Bruce rubbed his chin. "Schmidt…he touched it too?"

"And he was eaten alive—almost burned alive," Angel admitted slowly. "Like what it was doing to me only I survived because—"

"—because you're a mutant," Reed agreed, Angel nodding too. "It makes me wonder what pure energy would do to _my_ system. I'm certainly not really human anymore either."

Angel took a deep breath and tried to process it all, asking Reed to make her a copy of all the findings before she realized that it had been almost two hours since she had popped out. By now, Natasha and Nick had been informed of what was going on and that was all great and good, but she was sure that Coulson was still keeping her little secret and that meant that she had to go and reassure the four people that were worrying about her most, she was sure. Corrine and Bucky would be no doubt trying to calm down Steve, and Tony was being the big brother he hadn't really been all that much.

Smiling, Angel went to go and surprise them, running her fingers through her hair.

Corrine had gotten Steve calmed down some, at least enough to keep him from tracking up the floors, and now he sat at the conference table, his head resting against his arms, his foot tapping nervously. Bucky sat beside him his feet kicked up on the table, throwing a baseball up in the air, trying to find some sort of entertainment for himself while Lillian sat on the table itself, flipping through the new and approved Cosmopolitan magazine which was shortened to 'Cosmo' and had 'naughty tips to get your man in bed' and '101 different sexual pleasures for her'.

"Listen to this Bucky," Lillian said, Bucky turning to look at the blonde as she leaned forward from her spot on the table. "Study says that women who take charge in businesses tend to take charge in the bedroom; most likely to pin their significant other to the bed with furry handcuffs, or always have to top." Corrine could feel her face flush as Lillian smirked, Bucky quirking an eyebrow. "Corrine, is there anything you'd like to tell us?"

Steven groaned. "Can we not talk about this right now?" He begged, Bucky chuckling as he shook his head.

"Your sister and James here are going to have to have sex sooner or later Stevey," Lillian sighed as she went back to flipping through the glossy magazine. "Let's just hope you won't be around to hear it."

Corrine smacked her hand to her face, shaking her head as Steve glared at Lillian, Bucky moving to read over her shoulder with interest. "What else does it say in there? The pleasure things, let me see that?" He asked curiously, reaching over to snatch if from her.

"BUCKY!" Corrine shouted, stomping her foot as Bucky and Lillian fought over the magazine.

Steve let out a frustrated groan and snatched the magazine from the both of them, causing them to both stare up at the normally quiet and calm man he as he rolled the magazine up in his hand and moved to go stand beside Corrine, who was as red as a tomato with all the talk about her sex life right in front of her.

"We've got more important things to be doing rather than read some smutty magazine," Steve said, tossing it into the trash bin, Lillian gasping when he did it, and Bucky sighing.

"What could be more important than smutty magazines?" Everyone turned at the sound of Angel's voice, Corrine grinning at the sight of her friend, looking perfectly fine.

For a moment Steve just paused, but nothing could really stop the pounding of his heart and the way some of his stress just lifted away. She smiled at him when he made his way over to her, picking her up, which made her squeal. Angel even looked _healthy_ for once, which was strange for all of them, she was sure—only Steve had gotten to see Angel healthy and capable and not at all a damsel in distress. She always quoted the movie 'Hercules' whenever she had to describe herself: she was a damsel, she was in distress…she could handle it.

Angel wrapped her legs around Steve as he held her close, ignoring the blush on his face and pressing a tender kiss to his mouth. There was a difference between a public kiss here and there and the display that was happening right now, Steve only ignoring it this time around because he had been certain that she'd gone off to die. It wasn't fair, and yet she was alright and she looked good, and he was going to have to ask her about it.

"I promised I would come back, didn't I?" Angel asked him as she pulled back a little bit.

Steve stroked her hair and kissed her again before her body slid down his and her feet touched the floor, making Steve kiss her again. "Sometimes you have a habit of making big promises that I don't think you actually know that you can keep."

"Maybe sometimes, but have a little faith, Rogers," Angel replied, giggling when he kissed her one last time for good measure, Corrine smiling Bucky sliding his arm over her shoulders as they watched Steve and Angel, Corrine glancing over at Lillian who reached into the trash bin and retrieved her magazine.

Corrine rolled her eyes at her, and stepped over towards Angel, smiling when she turned to look at her. "I knew you'd be back," Corrine said happily before throwing her arms around Angel, pulling her tightly to her.

Angel beamed and embraced Corrine tightly, holding her close. These were the people that she wanted to surround herself with even though she had friends and good ones and she trusted them. Andy, Thor, Natasha, Coulson, Clint, Sharon…she loved them all and she was glad that they were all safe and sound and she was a little proud that she had done this. She had taken a really bad few situations and turned them into positive things with no side effects but those that had happened to her, herself. Smiling more about that, Angel looked at Bucky and he pulled her in before she could even go in for it.

Bucky was more thankful to her almost, than Steve was, with his Corrine back and his life ahead of him and just as important as all of that, Bucky was glad she was here…with Steve. The look in Steve's eyes when he looked at her was enough, and he'd been beside himself with worry about her well being and while Bucky had made jokes and seemed nonchalant, inside he was amazed by Steve's dedication. The magnitude of his love for her was obvious to anyone and Angel loved him too and she'd die for him—any of them—if she had to…it made Bucky feel like returning the favor if he had to someday.

"It's nice you're back, Glitchy," Bucky told her as he pulled back. "Do try not to worry that one so much though—he almost paced a hole in the floor.

Angel rolled her eyes at the nickname, but she smiled. "Steve has a papa bear streak in him yet."

Steve chuckled and smiled at her, Angel turning to hug Lillian too, glad that she was here and wishing she knew the girl better. That could be rectified here in the future and she pulled back and smiled at her before she felt everyone's eyes on her, probably taking in her better look. This was the way that Angel had missed feeling: whole.

"Well, now that this happy reunion is all good and done," Lillian said quickly after pulling away from her hug with Angel, smiling at the girl. "I think we should celebrate…there has to be some sort of alcohol around here somewhere right? Or is it banned here? Oh God, please tell me alcohol still exists." Corrine raised her eyebrows as Lillian rambled on; looking truly scared for the safety of alcohol.

"Oh, alcohol still exists," Angel laughed, smiling as Steve pulled her back into his arms, pressing his lips to her hair, not caring that she was trying to talk to Lilly, just glad she was back.

"Ugh, you're all so sickening," Lillian groaned. "Someone go find me alcohol."

"And some music," Corrine added in hopefully. "I...I tried to put on the radio here…but…everything just sounded like static—"

"—like a car crash actually," Bucky continued for her as they headed back over to the table. "It wasn't very appealing to the ears, we need a good station...something with the classics."

Lillian rolled her eyes. "You both sound so old," she said as she plopped back down on the table and started to flip through her magazine again. "Out with the old, and in with the new I say, Angel I demand you take me shopping." She said with a firm nod, her eyes widening with interest. "'How to give your man the best orgasm ora—"

"STOP WITH THE MAGAZINE!" Corrine shouted, reaching over to take it, Lillian quickly hopping from her reach while Bucky and Angel laughed loudly.

Angel shook her head as she laughed. "Cosmo is not the only magazine where you can find that kind of stuff, but only take it at face value."

"Don't encourage her!" Steve said nudging her.

"Oh, only face value?" Bucky asked her as Steve spoke. "Something you have to try and practice for yourself, I take it?"

"People get paid to write things in those magazines—not all of it is true," Angel responded, though she was blushing a little bit.

Bucky chuckled, knowing more than Lillian and Corrine. "Have you tried any of it?"

"JAMES BUCHANAN BARNES!" Corrine said suddenly. "YOU DON'T JUST ASK A WOMAN ABOUT HER SEX LIFE!"

"You remind me so much of Tony," Angel told Bucky laughing. "Why, Bucky? Have _you_ tried anything risqué like that?"

Steve stepped in and shook his head. "Nope. Nope…we're not having this conversation. These are the kinds of things that people talk about in private with less vulgar words."

"Agreed," Corrine stepped in, her and Steve nodding at each other.

"Strike of the virgin twins," Lillian muttered as she went back to reading.

Even though Angel blushed a little at that and knew it wasn't true, she piped in about how there was nothing wrong with being a virgin and that made Lillian automatically assume that Angel was too and it made Bucky smile because Steve really did have the perfect woman for him. Corrine sighed, running her fingers through her hair as she turned to look at the door when it opened, feeling herself grin when she saw the man who walked through the door.

"Howie," Corrine laughed shaking her head as she put her hands on her hips. "Wow Howard…you look great for your age, but I'm pretty sure I look better," she said smirking over at him, the man faltering a bit, looking at her completely confused, then over at Angel.

"Uh well, this is awkward," the man said rubbing his hands together as he pointed over at Angel. "I'm her brother, Tony, not her father…you must be…the 50s version of Pepper?" Tony suggested, and Corrine stood there, still confused.

"Pepper?" She asked, and Angel sighed walking over to her side.

"Pepper is Tony's assistant, he runs Stark Industries now even though I always seem to have to calmly remind him that it's my company too, I am also Howard Stark's child," Angel said, realizing now that she hadn't gotten a chance to tell Corrine that Howard had died. "Howard…he…he died when I was fifteen in a car crash—he and my mother both," she explained, frowning when she saw the pain sweep across Corrine's face, Bucky reaching over to old her hand.

"Oh…" that was really all Corrine could say, and she turned back to Tony, giving him a sad smile. "Sorry…you just look a lot like him," she explained quickly, taking in a breath.

"Right," Tony said with a nod, before going over to Angel and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You do anything that stupid again Angel…" he trailed off.

Angel sighed and nodded. "Like shoving a nuke into outer space?"

"V…" Tony warned, still not able to properly talk about what had happened with the Chitauri. "You promised you wouldn't bring that up again."

"We're Starks," Angel told him as she took his hands in hers and kissed them. "We do stupid things sometimes, but we bounce right back. I can handle anything, and so can you."

Tony nodded and placed a gentle kiss to his sister's forehead, letting his eyes close a moment because he loved her very much and he needed her. Still, he wouldn't be Tony if he didn't flip that switch from brotherly to a pain in 2.5 seconds, and so that is exactly what he did next. He went over to the other part of the room and opened up a stashed liquor cabinet, which caught Lillian's eye, and then turned to them all.

"So let me get this straight," Tony said a drink in his hands as he pointed towards Steve. "You're _her_ baby brother?" He asked, and Steve nodded, "and he's your best friend?" He pointed to Bucky now, Steve nodding again. "They're screwing," he said bluntly, Corrine blushing, Steve making a face and Lillian cracking up, "and she's older than him?"

"I am the oldest person in this room," Corrine said with a shrug, and Tony chuckled.

"You're a pip squeak," he muttered, Corrine giving him a look.

Angel sighed loudly. "You _always_ assume people are screwing, Tony."

"I'm also always right," Tony responded with a cheeky grin, "and with your good news in that department, I think it's only fair that I share mine with you."

"What, in your opinion could be better than that?" Angel teased and then her eyes lit up. "Unless…unless! TONY!"

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Unless you're guessing out of _nowhere_ that—"

"—JOANNA IS PREGNANT!" Angel squealed loudly.

Her brother was easier to read for her than he thought he was and he sighed, but then he smiled and nodded and Angel was to him in an instant. She started rambling about babies and about getting to be an aunt and about wanting to touch Joanna's stomach and talk to the unborn baby and she continually said 'oh my God', though the statement progressed each time she said it. It started out excited and cheerful and then soon it was filled with dread.

"What now?" Tony asked her.

Angel just shrugged. "Nothing, I just hope that Joanna is the one in charge of the child rearing decisions, is all. Wow…you're going to be a dad…and _before me_. _No one_ saw that coming, Ed. Have you told anyone else?"

"I told Rhodey first because you were MIA, but other than that, no. I'm hoping Drapes and Red—"

"—Thor and Andy," Angel clarified for the others.

"—are coming back soon though. Word got sent to them about you being a right terror and jumping through time when it was killing you from the inside out." Tony explained to her, laughing when Angel shushed him. "Come on, V…by now everyone in this room knows what you risked."

Angel sighed because she wasn't all that good at taking praise sometimes, but she smiled and grabbed some alcohol, Lillian excited now. She wanted to celebrate everything: new life, new chances, new…beginnings. Also, Angel was hoping that Corrine wouldn't hate her so much because she'd slept with her brother, knowing that things were a bit different in the fourties. Steve probably would have married her first and they'd be a proper, Christian couple, but here things were different and she didn't know—she just didn't want Corrine to hate her.

"I was hoping to tell my sister first," Steve said in the midst of the celebrating, knowing he couldn't get drunk like the others.

Angel shrugged a little bit. "Tony ruins a lot of things for a lot of people. Besides, it would have been Bucky that spilled it before _you _did. All that sex talk earlier had you red in the face so I don't see you coming out and saying anything about it."

"Private conversations," Steve reminded her, blushing now just thinking about it. "Regardless of what we do behind closed doors, public conversation should be appropriate."

"I remember when Tony gave you a sex pep talk," Angel laughed, Steve nudging her in the ribs. "What? It was funny! You were so cute sporting that red blush in your cheeks and you just mumbled about how he needed to leave you alone. I admit, it's creepy to give your sister's boyfriend advice about sex."

"What's creepy is talking to your brother's wife about sex," Tony said shaking his head. "Except that Joanna isn't my wife…not yet. I keep calling her that."

Angel shrugged and smiled. "Well, I keep calling you her 'husband', so oh well. No one ever corrects us, now do they?"

"Just don't tell Corrine and Bucky," Steve explained slowly. "Having a kid out of wedlock is—"

"—frowned upon?" Tony finished for him. "So is sex out of wedlock, isn't it?"

Steve took a deep breath. "Not that I have to answer to you, but I love your sister. Why am I here with you two talking about this?"

"Because you slept with my sister," Tony said matter a factly.

Even Angel judged her brother a little bit having a kid without being married first, but then again, where Tony was concerned Angel never thought he was going to _have_ a kid. She always saw her brother as that old man that still got lucky because he was rich, but then Joanna happened to him and she was the _best thing_ that had ever happened to him. It made her smile and she rested her hand on his shoulder, taking a deep breath.

"I know you'll make an honest woman out of Joanna—Hell, even Dad married Mom before you came. You were a few years in," Angel reminded him with a shrug. "I know how much you love her and if you haven't married her before this kid is born, you'll marry her the moment that kid comes out and you've fallen in love with it."

Tony smiled and looked at Steve and then back to his sister. "I always thought that you would get married and have kids before I did."

"_Everyone_ did," Angel said, a little bit sad about it. "In fact, everyone thought I would be the first one to get married and did that happen? No. It was Andy. She and Thor made that trip to Asgard and despite her being upset about there not being any TV, she and Thor did everything right and proper. Hell, I thought _she_ would have kids before you."

"Andy and Thor were a whirlwind romance," Steve spoke up, resting his hand on Angel's waist. "They knew the moment they met that they were supposed to be together and why wait? Andy isn't the kind of girl to back off like Sharon and sometimes you. She goes for what she wants and even though she's actually looking at a prospect of immortality with him, he's what she wanted."

"Well, I mean, I don't think there's really any going back from being hammered by a God," Tony told him, Steve giving him a look and then giving Angel one when Tony and Angel high-fived.

Angel giggled and shrugged. "What, Steve? You can't expect us not to make the 'God' sex jokes because with Thor it's just _way_ too easy."

Steve sighed, sipping his beer, Angel kissing his hand and then running off with Tony to gossip about things while everyone drank and mingled. Corrine was a little tipsy from celebrating Angel's safe return with the others and Lillian had snuck off somewhere to spy on a guy named…Clint she thought, who her friend had already taken an interest in within five seconds of meeting him. Eventually, Steven and Angel went back to Steve's apartment, and Tony had headed home to Joanna, leaving Bucky and Corrine alone.

"I really want to get out of this place already," Corrine muttered, her hand in Bucky's as he walked them towards their room. "I hate it here, and our room doesn't even have a window…I just…I need some fresh air."

Bucky smiled. "Angel said we'd get out of here soon, you just gotta wait it out," he said, pulling her to him, smiling when she giggled.

"I hate waiting," she pouted, her hands sliding up Bucky's chest as he pushed her back against the wall, a glowing sign above their head saying 'exit'.

Bucky leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips gently before looking up at the sign. "I've got an idea," he muttered, and took her hand, quickly pushing the door open to reveal a rather large flight of stairs leading up.

"What is your idea?" She laughed, holding onto his hand with both of hers as he pulled her through the door, and pointed up, her eyes following. "Those are a lot of stairs."

Bucky nodded. "You said you wanted some fresh air right?" He asked, raising his eyebrows as Corrine pursed her lips before racing up the stairs ahead of him, Bucky laughing as he followed after her.

Angel felt bad having to leave Bucky, Lillian and Corrine at the base, but Fury wanted to make completely sure that everything was alright with them—he was letting them go tomorrow. That meant that they needed a place to live and Angel wondered if she could help with that. Of course she could, she was Angela _Stark_. Besides, her father had obviously left Corrine some things, so once Corrine, Bucky and Lillian were released tomorrow, she would take Corrine with her and let Steve handle Bucky and Lillian. She could work with this.

"Will you stay tonight?" Steve asked Angel slowly, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Looking up at him Angel smiled, nodding because she didn't really want to go home and besides, she was still feeling pretty good about basically being back to normal. No one knew if she was for sure, but she was feeling pretty good and she knew that there wasn't much else left now that she wasn't feeling like she was being tugged around through time. Besides, right now she had Steve and they were completely alone and she shrugged off her jacket and hung it up on the coat rack as she looked him in the eye.

"Tomorrow, though, we have to focus on getting the others someplace to live…" Angel explained as she made her way over to Steve, playing with his t-shirt. "Until then…"

Steve chuckled and rolled his eyes playfully. "Your brother is a bad influence on you."

"Hey, _you_ chose a Stark," Angel reminded him as she chewed on her bottom lip and let her fingertips run up and down his arms. "Plus, that article about business women might have been spot on and we should properly try this in the bedroom…on a bed…"

"Why do I get the feeling that Tony high-fived you earlier because you told him we were in the training room?" Steve asked, his face flushing crimson.

Angel giggled, though she blushed too. "Because I did and Bucky would have high-fived me too…and then you. Now, there are things I want to try that I never would sober so, come," she ordered, taking his hand, laughing some more as Steve sighed.

"Really?" Steve asked, though he was curious.

"Scold me later," Angel winked and dragged him to his room.

Lillian leaned her head against the concrete wall, watching as the man, Clint, or Hawkeye as she heard Fury call him, start firing arrows at a target that had to be at least 50 yards away, always hitting the bulls eye.

"Impressive," she said, causing him to turn quickly to see who was in the training room with him.

"I didn't hear you come in," he said lowering his bow as Lillian smiled shrugging.

"I'm light on my feet," she said tilting her heel up some as he looked her over, already knowing who she was from the files he'd read on her earlier that day, and from old photos he'd seen of her. "You're Clint Barton right? I've heard a few things about you already."

Clint chuckled. "Have you now? Well, they're all lies I'm sure," he joked and Lillian gave him a fake pout.

"I certainly hope not." Lillian was never one for subtlety, and Clint just shook his head, chuckling as he took a few steps closer to her.

"You're Lillian Baxter," he stated. "You're pretty famous." That made Lillian smile.

"Am I?" She asked now, pushing off of the wall to walk over to him. "People still know who I am?"

Clint smiled a bit, and reached into his back pocket. "Do you want to Google yourself?" He asked, and Lillian raised an eyebrow.

"Boy do I,"

Corrine laughed as she pushed open the door that was on the very top of the stairs, Bucky's arms wrapping around her waist as the stumbled outside, his lips going to her neck.

"Oh my god Bucky," she breathed, Bucky chuckling.

"Well that was easier than expected," he muttered, nipping at her skin and Corrine scoffed, elbowing him in the ribs gently.

"No, look," Corrine said as she gazed at the city's skyline, Bucky finally looking up from her neck now, smiling at the sight.

"We've come a long way," he whispered, his arms tightening around her waist as he leaned down some, resting his chin on her shoulder, and she smiled.

"The farthest," she muttered, placing her hands over the top of his, smiling when he started to hum their song into her ear. "I don't know what where I'd be without you Bucky," she whispered, turning her head a little, closing her eyes when he pressed his lips to her cheek.

"You don't ever have to worry about that Corrine," he said, turning her around in his arms, moving her arms to wrap around his neck as he held onto her waist. "I'm not going anywhere, not ever again."

Corrine smiled up at him. "I love you, James Buchanan Barnes," she murmured, and Bucky smiled back down at her, pressing his lips to her forehead, holding her closer.

"I love you, Steven Grant Rogers," Angel said breathlessly, giggling and trying to catch her breath as she snuggled into the sheets of his bed. "That was far less awkward."

Steve chuckled and nodded, kissing her temple and pulling her body close to his, reveling in the warmth of her flesh against his. Maybe this wasn't the most 'proper' way to act with a significant other, but Steve was happy and she was here and she was his future. He knew without a sliver of a doubt that this was his future wife and mother of his children, even if he hadn't actually come out and said it to her yet.

"You didn't learn that in some smutty magazine, did you?" Steve asked her suddenly, flushing crimson when Angel laughed.

She turned over in his arms and smiled at him, beyond entertained that he would ask such a thing, and she shook her head. Everything that Angel was trying, were things that she had thought about in her mind and you could do just about anything as far as she was concerned, with someone that you trusted as much as she trusted Steve. Angel was after all a Stark, and shy about sex or not as she seemed given everyone knew she wasn't like her brother, there were things she wanted to try that were less than lady like and Steve would soon become aware of them.

"Do you remember our first night together in the same bed?" Angel asked him slowly, stroking his hair and kissing his chin.

Steve smiled and nodded and he held her close. "Yes, I do—how could I forget? That was the first night that I realized just how un-gentlemanly some of my thoughts about you were."

_Angel had invited Steve out on the town just to get him used to mingling with other people and it had started raining. They were closest to Angel's house, Steve taking off his jacket and handing it to Angel, both of them smiling at each other and hurrying to her place as fast as they could. A little rain never hurt anyone, but it was beginning to pour and Steve didn't want Angel to catch a cold or anything. Still, he had to admit that her clothes clinging to her was not at all an unpleasant sight._

"_This is a hot cocoa and movie kind of night," Angel told him, grinning at him. "In fact, you should just go ahead and stay over because it's starting to hail, I think."_

_Steve smirked as they made it up her walkway. "That's not what a gentleman would do."_

"_I think a gentleman could definitely spend the night if nothing un-gentlemanly happened," Angel responded, standing in the middle of the walkway. "Besides, last time you got a little bit lost on the bus and its dark out."_

_He had to admit that that was true, going inside with her and letting her start some milk on the stove, leading him upstairs. There were some of Tony's clothes there because sometimes Tony stayed over and Steve changed in her room while she changed in the adjoining bathroom. Her door was ajar ever so slightly, and as he pulled the t-shirt on that he would never normally wear, he caught a glimpse of her unhooking her soaked bra and he had to look away. Just the slight glance at her made his wet pants feel even tighter and he had to fight that._

_More than once he'd had to back away and leave just because he was feeling urges and he knew that was a normal bodily function when faced with someone you're attracted to, but he wanted it under control. Angela Stark was __**not**__ a conquest and he certainly wasn't going to be some peeping Tom. He even tried to tell her he'd sleep out on the couch after cocoa, Angel smiling and telling him he could use the guest room, so he just agreed and they watched a movie, Steve going to bed when it was over after hugging her—that was a mistake because he breathed in her scent._

_Steve had a hard time sleeping too, wide awake and in an unfamiliar room, sitting up when the door creaked open and the boy short and oversized t-shirt wearing Angel stepped in, in the moonlight and his breath caught in his throat. She gave him a 'sorry' smile and climbed onto the bed with him, taking a deep breath and looking down at her fingers. Steve could swear that Angel was blushing and it made him blush too._

"_I'm cold and I could use some arms to sleep in," Angel admitted, glancing up into his eyes and then looking away. "I'm really not trying anything, I'm just in need of comfort."_

_Nodding slowly, Steve lifted up the covers for her and pulled her tightly against him, her back to his chest, smiling when she told her she was glad he was there…he was glad he was there too._

"I wasn't really cold," Angel admitted, laughing when Steve's eyes widened. "I was lying in bed all night thinking about how good you looked without a shirt on. I admit it."

Steve chuckled and nodded. "So your intentions were far from noble."

"They weren't even in the same ball park," Angel told him before shrugging. "I mean it wasn't about sex, but seriously, your muscles, Steve. The way they contract against a girl is like a sin."

"You really are a Stark," Steve laughed, shaking his head at her and kissing her tenderly. "What have I gotten myself into?"

Angel giggled and rolled her eyes. "Just enjoy the ride, Cap—you're in for an adventure."


End file.
